


Reversed

by UnknownSatellite84



Series: Paradox [2]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Actual Kiss, Alcohol, Almost Kiss, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Assassin - Freeform, Banter, Brief Non-Con Elements, Coming Out, Crime Fighting, Dancing, Denial of Feelings, Enemies to Lovers, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fantasizing, Far Future, Heavy Angst, Human Experimentation, Humor, Lots of Arguing, M/M, Murder, Mystery, Past Experimentation, Past Torture, Resolved Sexual Tension, Romantic Fluff, Science Fiction, Secret Relationship, Sexual Content, Slow Burn, Smut, Spoilers, Temporary One-Sided Feelings, Thawne Family Party, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Weirdness, hurt/comfort elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-16
Updated: 2017-07-20
Packaged: 2018-09-24 20:51:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 46
Words: 160,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9786311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnknownSatellite84/pseuds/UnknownSatellite84
Summary: The year is 2182. A mysterious being appears, targeting both Flash and Reverse Flash. To survive, these two lifelong nemeses must find enough middle ground to work against it and face the truth of their hatred, their tainted history...and of each other. Nothing stays the same forever.Note - This is a futuristic AU set long after a re-imagined ending to season one - one in which Eobard escapes to the future before Barry returns from the night his mother died.Eventual Eobarry pairing. Slow-burn.





	1. Imprisoned

Prologue

The singularity gaped in the air, its blue light illuminating the entire chamber of the particle accelerator. In its depths, darkness juxtaposed to its luminosity - two reverses come together. It was strange and entrancing to watch its inexorable progress. Eobard, however, soon had eyes only for the time sphere that sat before it, bathed in the soft glow.

"It's beautiful," he commented, appreciating the flawlessness of this device, the way it reflected the light, the smooth controls inside, the comfortable curve of the seat. But its beauty did not lay in its physical aspects alone; instead, it resided in its purpose. This device would take him home after so much wasted time.

"Rip Hunter would be impressed," the Reverse Flash added. "He built the first one of these. Interesting man." He knew his small talk was pointless, comparable to uttering his words into the black of space - an empty gesture, time misused. He didn't know why he'd spoken at all.

He turned his gaze to Cisco, and he realized why he had wasted his breath. Somehow, a part of him, in a subconscious way, had missed the days in which he'd been an ally to these people around him, had missed the easy conversations they'd once held, had missed the sense of camaraderie and companionship. But what they'd all had - it mattered no more, he thought, pushing away that notion. It would all fade when he became Eobard Thawne again, as he'd once been, a young man searching for vengeance, a means to end his foe. Still, he felt he owed it to Cisco, to give him one last recompense for his efforts.

He strode over to the young man, whose face was unreadable.

"Thank you, Cisco." He wanted the appreciation he felt to be conveyed to the one who was so much like a son he'd never had. He wanted it said, even if they never spoke again. Simple gratitude, expressed in nothing more than words, could not return the favor this prodigy had done for him...but it'd have to do. There was no time for more.

Cisco averted his gaze. "Don't ever come back," he replied, voice cold.

No forgiveness, either. Not that he'd asked for it, or ever would. He didn't want to be forgiven, because he didn't regret his actions. Also, he couldn't blame the other for his coldness, his anger. It was fitting, expected, and in the end, it didn't matter. When he returned home, hundreds of years would have passed - hundreds of years in which the chance for this brilliant young man's death to occur would increase. Pushing away any lingering emotions, he turned to the time sphere, climbing into the seat.

Starting with a whirring, the sphere turned and crept toward the wormhole.

A plethora of new emotions filled Eobard. He was going home. No more Harrison Wells. No more helping the Flash - his greatest enemy, his mortal foe - or his teammates. No more misguided attachments. He was ready to be done with this charade. He'd be done with all of these people that he'd grown a fondness for. He'd be free. And he yearned for this freedom with a passion that outweighed everything he'd experienced in the last sixteen years.

" _Home_." Such a simple and profound word, with so much meaning.

He guided the sphere into the the singularity, confident. The darkness swallowing the light would guide him home. It was fitting, he thought, because he was the Reverse Flash, and darkness overcoming light suited him.

* * *

Chapter One

"Let her go, Thawne."

Eobard held the unconscious woman before him, the blood glistening on his gloves from the other lives he'd claimed. Past his captive, he saw the Flash, glaring at him, the glow of the setting sun burning on his outfit. The hero of Central City didn't know this woman. She was a perfect stranger, another face in a crowd, and yet Eobard knew that he wouldn't hesitate to give his life for her, if there was no other choice.

_Pathetic._

_"Even if I did release her,"_ Eobard returned, shifting his hold, _"you can't save everyone. You couldn't save them...and you won't save her."_

Flash moved, blurring into the air. He understood.

Just as Eobard did.

This woman would die.

He sunk his hand into her heart. More blood poured, painting him for what he was, a killer, a murderer - a monster. He flung the body away just as his nemesis reached him. A roar of anger exploded from the Flash, and Eobard was met with the full fury of the enraged speedster.

_"That's the spirit!"_ Eobard snarled, deflecting a series of punches.

The Flash got in a strike on his jaw, sending him reeling. Before he could recover, his foe launched into the air, his fist plunged, wreathed in lighting. The jolt of it jumbled Eobard's thoughts, but he caught himself before he collapsed.

"You didn't have to kill them!" Flash thundered, all judgement, righteousness, goodness.

Everything Eobard loathed about him.

He chuckled, spitting at the metallic taste in his mouth. His lip had split. First blood. Good. There would be so much more. _"Yes...I did..."_ He responded, vision clearing. _"And now I'm going to do the same to you."_

He sensed a flare of Speed Force. With the weight of a magnet train, a heavy blow struck his chest. The world spun away, and he crashed against a window, greeting the ground just on the other side. The glass rained on him. He felt the blood, now, running down his face. He looked up, blinking, confused. The Flash hadn't moved, he was certain. He had been on guard the entire time. In fact, his nemesis rolled on the ground, also looking as if he'd taken a hit. Eobard pushed up, feeling glass crunch under his palms. He steadied himself, looking around for who or what had landed such a solid hit.

In a burst of Speed Force, _it_ appeared, an answer to his silent question. It was dark and large, jagged claws on each hand. Dark fog surrounded it, shifting and flowing. It growled, fixing baleful, glowing-gold eyes on him. He could feel the Speed Force being twisted around it, through it, flickering as lightning along its body.

"What the hell?" He asked aloud, forgetting to vibrate his voice, trying to comprehend this creature before him.

The Flash was also on his feet, tense. "What the hell are you?" He demanded, fist clenching.

The beast spoke, a rich voice that vibrated with distortions, like a bass drum echoing through a steel tunnel. _"Who I am, is unimportant. Know simply that I am here to stop you."_

There was another burst of lightning, and the creature vanished. He saw the Flash fall, hitting the ground hard. Eobard tensed, racing forward. He raised a fist, ready to fight. There was a blur, and his stomach lurched. Disoriented, he tumbled through the air, striking the hard ground. A crunch, a terrible pain, and he was certain that something was broken. It was difficult to breath. He heard a buzz of electricity. He looked up, the being standing over him, casting a twisted shadow.

_"Enough, you cannot resist this,"_ the beast said.

Thawne never saw the fist, but he felt it strike him in the face.

Blackness overcame him.

* * *

Eobard, chest burning, mind foggy, forced open his eyes. He squinted against the white light shining down on him. He shifted his arms, pushing himself into a sitting position. He regretted it. Dizziness flooded him. He paused, taking deep breaths until it passed. Gaze focusing, he became aware of the walls around him, gray, lifeless. They appeared to be made of a metallic substance, glimmering. From them, he sensed a buzzing, like lightning. An electrical current of some kind?

_What kind of prison is this?_

To his annoyance, he saw the Flash, leaning against the opposite wall, mere feet away.

" _Great_ ," Eobard said, "the only thing worse than being locked up in a cell, is being locked up with you." He shook his head. "Judging from your expression, there's no escape."

Flash looked at him, grimacing. "You're welcome to try,"

Eobard grinned back. "You know what? I've got a better idea."

"What's that?"

"To kill you."

Ignoring his pain, he launched himself at the other, hands outstretched. Flash avoided his strike by a mere instant. "Really?" He seethed in the lull.

"Yeah, really," Eobard returned, "if this is the end for us, then I want the satisfaction of destroying you personally." He tensed, and rushed forward again.

Flash deflected his strike, shoving him back, pushing himself forward. Eobard collided with the wall, ducking the next blow which thudded against the metal over his shoulder. Reverse Flash didn't waste a moment. He landed a solid hit in the other's abdomen, expelling a gasp from him. It was a satisfying blow, one he knew would leave a nasty bruise. There was an attempt to return the favor, but it failed, despite the chain reaction it set off.

In seconds, they traded countless blows through, on, and around each other's hits, seeking to injure any available inch of each other. With nothing but hatred flowing through him, Eobard lashed against the flurry, landing just as many punches as his foe. Like a twisted dance, they fought with a combination of fury, thrill, and adrenaline that only they could generate.

After several minutes, he twisted away, aching, sore, his exhaustion threatening to overwhelm his anger, his strength, his pride.

"Just stop!" Flash snapped, winded. "You cannot...overpower me."

"I'll damn well try," Eobard gasped, lurching at him.

Another series of blows, and he hit the ground, winded. He started to rise again, but his trembling muscles began to refuse, telling him he'd had enough. He ignored it. He managed to stagger to his feet, but his next swing missed by several inches.

The Flash thrust him against the wall, eyes burning with rage. He bared his teeth. "If you...don't stop...I'll knock you out...and I'll keep doing it...for as long as...necessary." Eobard could see that he was also struggling to maintain his stance, likewise exhausted, trembling, trying to catch his breath in equal measure.

_Equals?_

"Pft," Reverse Flash replied, letting the Speed Force he tapped into drain away. "I'm done." His red lightning dissipated.

"Just like...that?" his enemy asked, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Yeah... I don't think..I'll be able to stand...for much longer."

Flash released him, reeling back.

As predicted, Eobard slumped to the ground, trying to ignore the pain of both his damaged body and pride, which was more prominent without the fire of their fight. He leaned against the wall, every part of him protesting the decision to move at all. "I must have...gotten hit...harder than you...by that thing."

"Yeah right. You just aren't good enough to defeat me, Thawne, admit it."

Eobard inhaled, trying to steady his breathing. "Well, you aren't good enough to defeat me either, Allen." He exhaled.

"We'll see. As soon as I figure out how to get out of this damn box."

Eobard decided not to reply, but lay his head back, closing his eyes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't my first work of fanfiction. In fact, I have quite a few stories on fanfiction(dot)net. However, this is my first story for this site, this fandom, this pairing, and definitely my first attempt at this kind of romance - the M/M, enemies to lovers kind. At any rate, I fully intend to put my best effort into it, and I hope you'll enjoy it. :) Thanks for reading!
> 
> Also note - I have not read a single Flash comic. The closest I've gotten is watching some Justice League movies(Flashpoint Paradox, most notably) and some JL cartoons, though those were a long time ago. I mostly say this because I know some fics on this site borrow lore from the comic-verse, but this one won't, as far as I know.


	2. Common Ground

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to say - I mentioned in my last note that I have an account on FFN(dot)net. If you went looking, you probably found a blank account. I made that one with the thought of posting in another fandom, and never did, so I stole the name from it for this one. My only active account on there is called DraconicSecrets115, in case you were curious. I don't have any Flash fanfiction on there yet, though.  
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy the new chapter!

* * *

_How did this happen?_ the Flash couldn't stop asking himself. He shook his head and leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees. His brow scrunched and he narrowed his eyes. He worked his jaw.

"Would you please stop?" Groaned his reverse.

Barry realized that his foot was scuffing the metal floor, creating an unpleasant noise. Through great effort, he stopped. He met the dark gaze fixed on him. "I'm bored."

"I could try to kill you," suggested the Reverse, scratching the stubble on his face.

"Like that'll do us any good."

"Heh. Regardless, I never imagined _this_ would be how our story ended, Flash. It's rather...dull."

"It doesn't have to end like this, Thawne," the Flash replied, shifting against the wall. "Maybe if we put our heads together…" He closed his eyes, regretting his words. Why had he bothered? He knew the response that would come.

Thawne stiffened, eyes narrowing. "If... What...? We work together like _allies?_ Just how in any universe is that conceivable?"

"I don't _know_ ," groaned the scarlet speedster, rubbing his temples, "but I wish I did... I'm going to go crazy if I spend too much more time here."

The other gave a hoarse laugh. "That'd be fun to witness."

"Maybe..." Flash said, standing up. He turned, hands searching the blank, unyielding wall. He vibrated them.

His reverse gave a condescending snort. "There's no escape from this place. Even _I_ acknowledge that. _Wherever_ we are."

Barry spun around, annoyance burning in him. "Look, Thawne, we can stay here forever, or we can actually try to escape."

Reverse Flash shook his head. "Yeah...no... Not likely, Allen. Even if I wanted to help you... I wouldn't know where to start. I have no information on this...whatever this place is. Gideon isn't responding, so I can't get any readings on it, at all." He tapped his wrist in demonstration.

"My suit's not detecting anything, either."

Thawne half-smiled, shrugging.

"This is your fault, for time traveling last," the Flash shot at him, wanting to wipe his smug look away. He was in the same predicament, after all. "For changing the timeline... You must have pissed the Speed Force off."

Thawne retorted, "and just how many times have you jumped through time? How do you know this isn't because of you? Hell, I'm the villain, yet you do a pretty good job of screwing things up without me."

Barry wasn't sure what he meant. He paused, a moment passing before he realized... "If you're referring to Flashpoint, then that was also your fault," he insisted, clenching his jaw. "You're the reason I did what I did."

"No. You just don't like being wrong," responded the other. He put his hand on the ground and began tracing, appearing bored.

"That was a long time ago, anyway," Barry said. "Why would that...thing care about that now?"

"It wasn't so long ago, for me," the Reverse Flash replied.

"Sit there and be useless then…" He tried another angle. "To be honest, I didn't know you gave up this easily. I thought you were more stubborn."

Thawne grinned. "Oh, I am stubborn. About resisting you. If sitting here is one way to end your little... _reign of heroism_ , well, fine, I'll sit here until the end of time."

Anger seized Barry. He slammed a fist against the wall, ignoring the ache it sparked in his hand. Fuming, he sank to the floor, glaring at his nemesis. "You can't call a truce for the sake of freedom, huh?"

"Not a chance."

A groan escaped Barry, and he thumped his head against the wall. "Isn't that a little... _immature_...?"

His answer was a laugh without mirth.

* * *

Eobard could not take his eyes off of the scarlet speedster.

In the gray cell that hummed around them, all he saw was the stark red of the other's outfit in the otherwise colorless space. And he was starving. Not for food, for hunger seemed not to be a concern in this weird prison - which was odd in itself, and led to several question - but for the other's suffering...and his variation, for his color, his life, his vividity. The Flash had always had all of that - a strange brightness in spite of every dark thing that'd ever happened to, or was caused by, him. It made his torment all the sweeter and more satisfying to witness, to observe the way it all would fade into nothing one wonderful day that Eobard looked forward to.

_He doesn't deserve happiness, and it doesn't make sense for him to have it... He should be as grim as death itself… So much time has passed...so many awful things must have occurred… It doesn't matter, though. None of that changes_ who _he is._

Bartholomew Allen had fallen silent, to Eobard's relief, but his body was rigid in pure frustration and his molecules were charged with Speed Force. The Reverse Flash sensed the increasing frustration in his enemy, in the way his electricity buzzed with a greater intensity each passing minute. In all of their clashing, he'd become very attuned to the Flash. He knew the other speedster the best...perhaps better than the red blur knew himself. He always sensed how the other felt, could guess it through the slight changes to his vibrating molecules, posture, expression. Thawne was certain, without a doubt, that Allen could feel the same for him, even if the other did not acknowledge it.

It was the intimate understanding that two immortal enemies held for each other, an understanding that went beyond flesh and blood, but was intertwined with time and space...and born of their identities.

Thawne watched with the eyes of a hawk, because he refused to miss a moment of this man's discomfort. He watched the faintest flickers of millions of leaping molecules - electricity. Energy surged like a silent, invisible wind around the crimson form. In the whites of his eyes, super-charged particles flickered. The Flash almost seemed to glow.

_Interesting,_ Thawne noted. _If I tap into the Speed Force, will it help?_ He bit the inside of his cheek in thought, chewing. _And would Bartholomew find himself unable to look away from me - a spot of color in this metal prison?_

_No,_ Eobard thought. Accessing the Speed Force would make his own perception of the world slow down, and causing this imprisonment to feel longer than necessary was not something he wanted to do. He had the suspicion that the Flash was doing it without realizing - an instinct.

Of course, it wasn't long before his foe noticed his unbroken gaze. Annoyed eyes met his. "What?" snapped the Flash.

"Just you." Eobard snorted. "Crackling over there like a broken circuit board... Should have guessed you wouldn't be able to stay silent for very long, either."

"You're one to talk. Remind me, who is the one always boasting in our fights?"

"Me, but you're always yelling how I'm a villain and such... Besides, I only talk when I have a point to make."

"Don't we all?"

"No," he replied. "Many people - yourself included - like to talk to hear themselves talk."

Allen barked a laugh. "You're ridiculous."

Silence followed the conversation, but after a few moments that weren't quite long enough, the Flash broke it. "It's irritating," he muttered.

"What's that?" Eobard could guess, but he wanted to hear it spoken aloud.

"You. Staring."

Eobard grinned. "Good."

* * *

 

_You think me immature to resist you now, when we might be able to escape with each other's help. But our fight is everlasting, a beautiful thing. Would it not be more immature to throw it away for something so petty as this? You're a fool, Flash, have always been. Thanks for reminding me. But you're an entertaining fool, I suppose I owe you that, to acknowledge it to myself. I wonder, though, did it ever occur to you what you would do? Did you ever dream of hating someone so deeply as I hate you?_

_You know I would die to kill you - not that it would come to that - but do you feel the same? Would you die for an end to this battle, Allen? Would you bleed your last if you knew I had bled my own, if it truly was all over? Isn't death supposed to be the answer to all of this?_

_No. Why ask? I know the answer, already - you wouldn't. You're a_ hero _._

_But you never knew the meaning of the word. I'm proof of that._

_I have to prove you wrong._

_If death is the only answer, but the answer you won't choose, then there can only be one death. Yours. It's strange to think of it like that. What if you were gone? And I lived on? Wouldn't that be...impossible, somehow? Wouldn't it be impossible, to exist without my opposite? Like having hot without cold, or white without black, or peace without violence, or love without hate... It cannot be. All forces equal out. It is scientifically proven. So why should one of us win, alone? If one wins, we should both win. If one loses, we should both lose. But we hate. We fight. We bleed. We are enemies. There can be no united victory._

_No, there can only be defeat, and it can only be yours._

_See?_ Eobard chuckled to himself. _We're already a paradox._

"What _now_?" the Flash muttered from where he stood on his side of the cell, leaning on the metal wall as though hoping it would give.

Eobard leaned forward, chin on his knees. "Nothing. Well, nothing important. I was just thinking how amusingly idiotic you are. You aren't going to come up with a solution, standing there like that."

There was no response, no verbal one. All the same, his words seemed to trigger a reaction. Just as Thawne understood when the Flash was frustrated, he knew when the other had given in and lost. He felt a surge of routine triumph when the Speed Force evaporated from the other like smoke, and he sank down the wall. He sat, defeat prominent in every line of his body.

"You know," Eobard said. "I told you it was pointless."

Silence was his answer, once again.

"Nothing, huh?"

* * *

After enough time had passed, Eobard learned that the silence was just as infuriating as the other's rambling. His ears were buzzing, craving some kind of stimulation in the emptiness. To end it, he asked his nemesis, "do you ever wonder what it might have been like if we weren't destined to be enemies?" He raised an eyebrow. "What if the old team had stuck together? What would _that_ be like?"

"So much for talking only when you need to make a point," groused Allen from where he lay on the floor, hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling.

"I thought you were aware that I lie, Flash," Thawne pointed out.

"Don't worry. I'm aware."

"Good."

"To answer your question - no, I don't think about it." Allen's tone indicated he had no interest in pursuing that conversation further. He changed the subject. "How long do you think we've been here?"

Eobard rubbed his chin in thought. "Around a week, perhaps?"

"Really?" his opposite asked, sitting up and facing him. "That's...a long time...considering that..."

"What?"

"I wonder why we haven't needed to eat...or drink...or sleep?"

"I have a few guesses," Eobard said, "maybe we're not in a three dimensional space. Maybe we aren't even physically here. Maybe it's a complex illusion. Or maybe it's some high tech prison which keeps us alive without us even realizing it… Whatever is holding us, it obviously has very different rules to play by."

"I'm going to lose my mind, for sure."

"I lucked out."

"What does that mean?"

"Between the two of us, I'm the one who is far more patient. This will be that much more torturous for you than me."

He felt it - a stab of annoyance, a flicker of lightning, a faint buzz of Speed Force. Allen scowled. "Okay. Fine. Just what exactly do I have to do to get you to help me?"

"I'm not helping you," Eobard returned. He smiled. "Though if you want me to help you that badly...maybe start with pretending you don't know how to speak."

Another jolt of irritation hit his reverse. "Unbelievable," he said.

"Not a good start, Flash," Eobard said, wagging a finger in reprimand.

The Flash narrowed his eyes. "Okay, what if I do shut up? What exactly do I have to do next to get your help?"

Eobard blinked, hesitating to believe that Allen was actually considering his demand. He answered, "I don't know. I can't imagine any circumstances in which I help you..."

"We need to find some common ground, then."

"Heh. Funny idea, but... There's no such thing as common ground when it comes to the two of us, you of all people should know that."

To Eobard's uncertainty, a gleam entered the man's eyes. He leaned forward, "I know a few things we have in common."

Thawne couldn't explain the sudden discomfort that washed over him. "Oh? And what's that?" And he couldn't explain to himself why he felt certain this was a trap.

"We're both speedsters, for starters. We're both enemies. We both hate each other. We've been a huge part of each other's lives, for so long. Everything we are now, is because of the other. You can't escape that, Thawne, and neither can I. Just like we can't escape this cell...so yeah, a few things in common."

Eobard couldn't form a response to that particular line of thought. He finally broke eye-contact and began to trace the floor with his fingertip again.

"Come on," Allen insisted. "It's not like we'd have to help each other for very long...and perhaps if you help me, here, now, for a few simple moments, we can escape. _You_ can escape. If we work together, we may just have enough strength. We just need to figure it out. And as much as I hate it...I hate doing nothing more. I'm guessing you aren't too happy with this predicament, either… Besides, if we get out of here, you'll get another opportunity to kill me - to end me yourself...to not let another do your work. Or are you too scared to face that thing?"

A challenge. Eobard could never back down from such, as much as he knew he should. He looked into those glowing eyes again, and they were alive with Speed Force, with determination. He wanted to destroy that resolve, but, he knew he wouldn't be able to. He did manage to force himself to hesitate. "Hmmm..." He cracked his neck, first to the left, then to the right. He raised his finger from the floor to point at the Flash. "You do have a point, Allen. For once."

"Well?"

Thawne sighed. "Alright. I'll..." he grimaced, " _help_ you, despite how much I feel like vomiting at the thought. I'm only doing this for myself, in case you have any ideas otherwise… I wasn't lying, though. You _are_ going to have to shut up while I think."

"Okay. Okay," responded the Scarlet Speedster. "Silent as the grave."

Thawne stood, stretching like a cat to work the stiffness from his muscles. He looked around once, asking himself, _what the hell am I doing, helping the Flash like this? Well... I lie. I_ don't _want to sit here until the end of time. I'd rather bring him down myself, anyway. And I'm helping myself, first and foremost. It was unfortunate that that means helping my worst enemy. But if I happen to get the opportunity to shove my hand through his heart on the way out, I'll gladly take it._

All of his current musings vanished. He leaned against the wall, folding his arms, allowing his mind to think of what might work.

"This prison is...interesting, to say the least. There's some kind of energy in it, and so far, we haven't needed to keep ourselves alive with the usual mundane needs. And the fact that there is stubble on my chin...and on yours...means that time has passed here. So, we aren't in a dimension outside of time." He nodded. "My best guess - we are in a highly advanced prison, which is somehow keeping us alive, maybe with that energy I sense, but we should still be...well, in _our_ dimension."

Allen said, "that makes sense. We can still access the Speed Force here. Maybe we could use that to our advantage."

Eobard looked at the Flash. "As much as it pains me to say it - you may be right. I have an idea on that."


	3. Ultimatum

* * *

"So...this will work?" Asked the Flash, seeming to hide dubiousness in his voice.

Eobard was very aware that he was failing. Even if his tone hadn't given it away, his posture and frequency was all he needed to be certain. "If it doesn't, then nothing else will," he shot back. "So you better do your part."

Allen stood, raising each leg to stretch them, his fingers touching both feet behind him in turn. "I can't imagine this going wrong." He twisted and hopped.

Thawne shook his head. "Neither can I."

"Something else we have in common?" Flash asked, grinning.

Eobard realized his slip up, irritated. "No... Would you stop bouncing like a rabbit?"

"Well, if it bothers you _that_ much…" Flash stilled. "You know, Thawne...if you're scared, I could hold your hand."

"Do you want to die?"

"You can't kill me."

"I could if you try to hold my hand. That's for certain."

Flash tapped his forehead. "Man, why didn't you think of that grand plan all those times you tried to send me to the grave? Get me to grab your hand, that is?"

"Maybe because I thought you were too smart for that?" Eobard asked. "Clearly, I overestimated your intelligence." He exhaled. "I cannot believe we are having this conversation."

A laugh, one brimming with genuine amusement was his answer. Eobard noticed the other's eyes were dancing. He narrowed his own. "Wait. Are you... _joking_ with me, Allen? Just so you know, _I_ was being perfectly serious."

Flash inhaled, amusement fading. "Yeah. Mistake on my part. Let's get this over with."

"On my mark," Eobard started, leaning forward. The Flash was close enough now that he could reach out and and grab his throat, strangle him. Oh, how he wished he could. How he wanted to watch the light fade from his eyes, to hear his last scream and his final breath rattling from his chest. He wanted to observe those ending moments of his opposite's life, to revel in it.

Too bad it had to wait.

"Ready," Allen said.

"Three..." Eobard counted. Time slowed and he felt a surge of energy flow through both of them. The perfect timing took his breath away. There was something...interesting to this, to the both of them, working together, two speedsters connecting with the Speed Force, side by side. Interesting and very wrong, he noted. "Two..." Yet, he didn't feel quite like vomiting the way he expected to at such a thought. "One."

Both speedsters leapt into action, charging in a tight circle around the cell. It wasn't ideal or comfortable, but there wasn't much choice.

"Faster, Barry, _faster_!" Roared Reverse Flash.

"Same to you, slug!"

They picked up speed, siphoning off each other's power to go faster and faster, red and yellow lightning entwining in what would have been a blur to any normal human. Eobard could feel the other's electricity pulsing around him in the air, just as he knew the other could feel his. An odd surge of warmth rushed through his veins, and he wondered if this sensation was a peculiar side effect of their shared Speed Force.

The cell faded into a world of blue light. They entered the Speed Force. If felt good to run like this, free, without restraint. His breath left him, as expected when he ran this fast. His heart pounded in the center of his being, the life that fueled him. He felt as if he had left all physical form and was just one pure bolt of lightning, forever traveling through time and space. He was surprised this was working so well. _Concentrate, Allen,_ he thought to the Flash, whose presence he could sense not far ahead of him. He focused upon the road outside of S.T.A.R Labs. He closed his eyes, picturing the ancient facility behind his eyelids.

The blue evaporated. His feet hit pavement, and the abrupt shift sent him sprawling to the ground. With a groan, he sat up, blinking. He heard a rustle nearby and turned his attention to the Flash, lying on the concrete beside him. Around them, he saw the world, not the cell, and it was full of life. Vehicles glided, humming, down the busy lane to the left, and the skyscrapers crowded around. He looked to the S.T.A.R. Labs building, noting that it hadn't changed much over time. It looked old next to the modern towers...short, too, but otherwise it appeared the same, down to the blackened hole in it's side.

Flash spoke, "it worked, no catches. Surprising."

Eobard looked at him, seeing a faint smile. He stared for a moment before the full reality of the situation struck him. He grinned back, sprang into superspeed, and seized the unsuspecting Flash by his neck. A few blocks later, he slammed the Scarlet Speedster into the wall, raising his other, vibrating hand.

 _"Shouldn't have let your guard down, Flash!"_ He snarled. _"Now, you die!"_

Before Allen could react to his taunt, both speedsters heard a piercing screech.

Their eyes turned.

The creature floated around the corner of the building, sunken face emitting an awful noise, almost like a whine. The tattered robes dangling from its emaciated body fluttered in a non-existent breeze.

"Time Wraith," Eobard said. "We must have caught it's attention when we went through the Speed Force...which means, we time traveled." He shook his head at the implications. "We were being held in the past...or even the future."

In his distraction, Eobard felt Allen wrench out of his grasp and speed away.

Thawne phased, changing his frequency. He rushed at the Time Wraith, allowing his new vibrations to rip through the beast. The tattered creature hit the ground, turning to dust. It occurred to him that there was a far more dangerous enemy that would soon notice they had escaped its prison. He blinked, knowing he had to make a decision. He gritted his teeth, hating it, but knowing there would be no other choice.

He spun and chased after the Flash.

* * *

Out of breath, Eobard skidded to a stop, inhaling, exhaling. He bent over, annoyed by the feeling of the sweat beading on his forehead, neck, and back. He was growing weaker with each second, meaning that he needed more energy, more calories. _The imprisonment is catching up to me._ And he still hadn't caught up to his nemesis. _Damn. At this rate, I'll have to wait for another opportunity to go after him._

Flash appeared before him in a burst of speed. The wind of it flowed over Eobard. He growled, voice full of anger, "following me now? Fine, if you want a fight that bad, I'll give you one." He raised a fist, Speed Force flaring around him.

Thawne's own hands flew up, palms out, fingers spread. Allen froze, eyes wide.

"Yeah," gasped Eobard, straightening himself. "I know. Not what you expected. I'm not too thrilled by it...but, if the past is anything to go off of, to be free, we'll need to destroy that... _thing_...that trapped us first."

"You...want my help?" Flash asked, incredulous.

"It's going to be after you, too," Eobard returned. "May as well."

"One minute you're trying to kill me...now..."

The Reverse shrugged. "Yeah, well, it just occurred to me...we never had a common enemy before. Not like this."

The Flash folded his arms. "This might be the longest conversation we've carried without trying to rip each other's throats out." He shifted. "Well, while not being locked up together...and not including that time over a century ago when you were stuck there..." Eobard stared until the other trailed off, "...as...Harrison...Wells..."

Silence fell between them.

"Tell me," Flash said, "why should I trust you? You literally _just_ tried to kill me again."

"I attacked you impulsively before without thinking it through. Now, I think, if I'm going to be free of that thing, we're going to have to...help each other."

"In the cell you acted like that was the worst thing in the world."

"Well, I've decided that there _is_ something worse - dying."

"I don't think we should. I think this is a tric-" Allen stopped, stiffening.

A flare of Speed Force caught Eobard's attention. He spun around, gaze locking onto the dark beast before them both, its baleful, golden eyes flickering with electricity, fixed upon them. Claws unsheathed, flexing.

 _Not you again,_ Eobard thought. "I think we need to...regroup."

He turned away and broke into a run. He rushed forward, darting between two buildings. Something struck his legs. Pain flowed through them. He flew forward, tumbling head over heels down an empty alley. He crashed against a chain link fence at the end, feeling it rattling and some of its edges split. He looked up. The creature stood above him, snarling. _"Consider this your final warning, Eobard Thawne,"_ it growled.

The Reverse Flash felt intense agony shoot through his being. His eyes lowered. One of its clawed hands was embedded in his chest. He coughed, shaking, all the energy draining from him. Blood ran down his suit, painting the yellow in red.

 _"End your war, or you will end... But be warned - if_ he _dies, so do you."_

* * *

Barry charged forward, skidding to a halt. The creature stood down the long alley. He saw Eobard slumped against the fence, streams of blood on his chest, unconscious, or maybe even dead. He stiffened, his alarm growing. Thawne was never caught off guard. This creature had overpowered him, without too much effort, it seemed. Even the times he'd gotten the better of Eobard had never gone smooth or quick.

The monster turned towards him. _"Flash."_

He took a step back, but the beast was there. He never saw it move. It grabbed his neck and lifted him into the air. He coughed, pained. He tried to phase away, but it felt as if he were trying to escape a wall of pure energy that kept shifting to accommodate his changing frequencies and vibrations. He punched the arm, to no avail.

_"You see how quickly I disabled your reverse. Killing you would be just as easy. I am forgiving, though. You will decide, Flash. In his condition, without help, he will die... The war will end. Save him, however, and you must find another way to end it. If your lifelong battle does not change, I will do what is necessary and kill both of you... You have until the next nexus..."_

The Flash hit the ground. He wasted no time pushing to his feet. The thing was nowhere in sight. It's presence was gone.

He rushed to Thawne.

He bit his lip in frustration. Super-regeneration appeared to not be enough for whatever the creature had done to him; blood still dripped down his body without sign of slowing. He hesitated. Reverse Flash was his greatest enemy, but worse than that, he was a criminal, a psychopath, and a heartless killer. Would it be so bad to let the other bleed out? Barry knew that Thawne would never hesitate to let him end if he were the one dying, but…

He could not do the same to the other.

After all, they were reverses of one another, which meant more than just their colors. It went all the way to how they acted, their way of thinking, their morals. He could not let it end this way for the other speedster, because he was not like him. Clenching his jaw, wishing he could abandon this part of himself for this one moment, he lifted Thawne from the ground, and began to run.

And maybe, in some strange way, his decision was born of all that had been in his life, of all that had come and gone. And Eobard had always been. A constant, something to expect, something that never changed. He'd gained so much, lost so much, and he would continue to gain and lose.

But Eobard Thawne would always return to fight their war.

Because he had been there since the beginning.

Because he would be there until the end.

_What a strange thought._


	4. Vibe

Eobard awoke. Blinking, he sat up, rubbing his eyes. He turned his gaze to observe his surroundings, recognizing the medical bay in S.T.A.R Labs. His eyes continued to search until they found the stubborn silhouette of the Flash sitting just beyond the radius of the brightest light in the room, as though he were attempting to make himself less noticeable. A wry smile appeared on Eobard's face. The Flash had saved his life. Or, at the very least, had ensured he didn't die from his injury. _Ever the hero..._ he thought. _I wonder just how often that trait has backfired on him - like now. He had the chance to be rid of me, and didn't take it...too bad for him..._

He shifted himself, dangling his feet off of the bed. His chest ached, and his eyes were drawn down to the bandages there on his Reverse Flash suit, both stained with dried blood. "Couldn't let me go, could you, Allen?" He commented.

"Apparently not."

"Why?" Eobard wanted to hear the other justify his reasons, regardless of his own thoughts on the matter.

"Because I'm not evil like you," the Flash replied. "By the way, you should sound more grateful."

"Yeah, sure… And exactly how did you manage to stop the bleeding? I noticed my regeneration wasn't really doing its job."

"I jumpstarted the Speed Force in your system with a bit of electricity. That thing had disrupted your connection to it somehow."

"And you escaped it...how?"

Allen shrugged. "It let me go."

"Just like that?"

"It told me to end our war, saying it was merciful so it was giving me a chance."

"Funny thing," Eobard said, "it said something similar to me." He pushed himself off the bed, feet hitting the floor. He was somewhat light-headed, but otherwise, the ache was almost gone, the wound almost healed. Annoyance made his skin prickle. "I don't like being in your debt," he shot at the Flash.

"You're not," came the annoyed reply. "You have nothing I want, anyway."

"Obviously." The Reverse Flash crossed the room, movements slow - a pathetic adjective for a speedster, he thought - putting the bright light of the med bay behind his shoulders. Barry sat on a chair, his speedster outfit replaced with a casual, gray, collared tunic with dark pants. Thawne paused, folding his arms, looking down at him. "So?" He asked.

"So what?"

"So just how do you intend to fight that...thing?" Thawne asked. "We are very outmatched, seeing as it kicked our ass not only twice, but in less than a few seconds each time."

"I don't know...yet," Barry replied. "But it...said something odd before disappearing - that is, while you were unconscious."

"What did it say?" Thawne asked, not looking forward to the answer.

"It said we had until the next nexus to end our war. I suppose that's when he'll return, but... nexus? What do you think that means?"

Eobard massaged his temples. "I think it means a time nexus."

"A what?"

"You mean to say that you don't know what a-?" He stopped, clenching his jaw. He gave Flash his best 'you're an idiot' look.

"There's a reason I stopped researching time travel," Barry defended. "After Flashpoint. I swore I'd never do it again."

Eobard exhaled. "It's hard to explain... I suppose a nexus...is a fixed point in time, a point where _all_ decisions from the past and future intersect, meaning if it's ruptured...it will cause exponentially more changes to the timeline than a normal disruption... A good example of a nexus would be the night of your mother's death," he added salt to the wound.

Flash was an old enemy, though, and he didn't flinch at the intentional prod. In fact, he seemed unaffected, and Eobard wondered if that was just a good bit of acting on his part, or if he _was_ unbothered. If so...he'd come a long way from who he'd once been. _Well, it has been over a hundred years...so I suppose it's not that surprising,_ he mused.

The Reverse continued, "that is why it created Flashpoint when you saved her life, why despite the fact that we 'fixed' it, it affected so many people in such drastic ways... And it's also why I chose to try and kill you then, and not when you were...say, two or three, or in a more vulnerable situation."

"Right," Flash said. "So it could be anything. We won't know it until that creature comes for us again, this time with no intentions of taking prisoners again, and it could appear tomorrow, next week, a year, a hundred years..." he sighed.

"Not necessarily," Eobard said. "I can find the nexus, then we will know exactly how much time we have to plan."

Barry narrowed his eyes, suspicion glinting there. "And just how do you intend to do that?"

"Time travel." Eobard returned.

"No," Allen said. "You'll draw attention to us. We've already pissed off the Speed Force enough for one day. Not to mention that messing with time is a bad idea." He stood, purpose filling his eyes.

"You have a better idea, oh, Intellectual One?"

"Yes," Bartholomew replied. "There's someone who can look through time, _without_ using the Speed Force. I'll just contact him."

"Aw," Eobard said, a grin filling his face. A genuine one, this time. "If you're referring to who I think you're referring to... I admit, I have somewhat missed having him around."

"Yeah, well," replied the Flash, grinning back in a hostile way that was rather out of character, in the Reverse Flash's mind. "That feeling couldn't be further from mutual. He hasn't missed you much, that's for sure."

Eobard felt a strange thrill at the other's expression, but the feeling soon dissolved into annoyance. The Flash stood and walked away. He wished the other speedster was adorned in his red suit. He wanted to throw a few punches to work of his sudden frustration, and it was easier to imagine doing it when his nemesis was nothing more than the Flash.

* * *

"Uh, _nuh-uh_ ," came the first words out of the man's mouth when his eyes landed on Reverse Flash. It was easy to see that he was glaring, even with his dark eyewear. "Tell me, Barry - what's _that_ doing here, exactly?"

"Missed you too, Cisco," Eobard said.

Barry shot him a sideways glance.

Eobard straightened himself, squaring his shoulders.

"You can't call me that," Cisco replied. "In fact, if you could refrain from speaking to me at all, that'd be _one hundred percent_ fantastic with me."

"Vibe," Eobard corrected. He noted to himself how much Vibe's suit had changed over the years, seeming to be crammed with millions of dollars worth of technology, and yet still retained a sense of fashion and style.

"He's not here by my choice," Barry told their guest.

"Nor mine," Thawne assured.

"Well," Cisco said, lowering the dark headgear from his face. He tapped some tech on his arms. "This explains why you were so terribly cryptic. If you told me Thawne was here, you would have gotten a capital N and a capital O."

"Sorry," Barry said. "I didn't know how you would react."

"Though I'm sure you had a good guess..." He shrugged and turned his gaze around the laboratory. "Not much has changed… Never does..." Cisco walked to one of the desks, leaning down to examine the lab consoles there. "It's been some time since I've been here. Looks like your systems could use an update. This tech is old enough to be my grandmother."

"An exaggeration," Barry noted.

"So, tell me, Vibe-" Thawne started.

Cisco narrowed his eyes, looking up. " _Sorry_ ," he mocked. "I can't hear you over the sound of your own awfulness... So listen up. One, Dr. Evil, I have nothing to say to you. Two, I have nothing to say to you." He turned away, making for one of the side rooms. "And the same goes for infinity."

"You know," Reverse Flash said, nonchalant. "All we need now is dear Caitlin, and it would be like old times."

Vibe froze.

Barry started, but if he intended any words or action, Cisco beat him to it. The metahuman spun around, raising a hand.

Thawne felt a shift in the air around him.

"Say one more word, you malignant asshole," Cisco said, "And I will shatter your entire nervous system, speedster or no. Do you want to know how that feels? To be rendered a drooling vegetable all your life? Or what six feet under is like? Yeah, I can do that too..."

"Oh, Cisco, I'd be worried," Eobard replied, "except I know, without a doubt in my mind, that you're neither a killer, nor a man cruel enough to cripple me."

The hand twisted.

A wave of agony crashed into the Reverse Flash. He doubled over, shuddering.

"Cisco!" Barry exclaimed.

"Don't get your panties in a wad," Cisco replied. "He is right that I'm not a killer...or cruel enough to destroy him, probably... I am, however, cruel enough to give him a taste of all the agony he's caused...by simply messing with the pain-center in his brain. He'll make a full recovery when all's said and done..."

Struggling not to collapse under the weight of the attack, Thawne shuddered and staggered to the nearest wall. He leaned against it, his nerves on fire and all of his veins and arteries seeming ready to burst. He groaned, needles under his skin, sweat running down his forehead.

After a few seconds, the discomfort faded.

Thawne slumped. "You," he gasped. "Have...become quite powerful, indeed, Vibe."

"He never shuts up!" Cisco said.

"Good thing you're on my side," Barry joked, punching his shoulder in friendship.

"Yeah, well, if Evilbard is sticking around, it might not last," the other responded. "So, what did the mighty Flash need help with?" he changed the topic, tone becoming light and easy. He put his hands on his hips, tilting his head.

"I need you to vibe for me."

"I figured. We never hang out anymore unless there's a crisis."

"Well, maybe you should move back to Central City. Then, we'd have lots of time to hang out."

"Maybe I should. But I'd miss Wustread...and Gypsy..."

"You should bring her, sometime," Barry said. "It's been awhile."

"I would," Cisco replied, "if I could get her to stay in one place for more than a day. I swear, I think our relationship is more complicated than in that one movie... The New Cotillion? I think..." He shrugged his coat off, revealing even more tech hidden underneath. He placed it on a the back of a chair, before plopping into it with all the ease of somehow who lived here. He pointed at Barry. "Anyway, after I vibe, we are going for dinner - without mouth-off over there."

"Sure thing," Allen replied. "It'd be nice, after everything. I'm actually starving..."

Eobard had to agree with that sentiment. It'd been a week or more since he'd had a meal. He straightened himself and found his voice. "I should come, too, in case you are attacked. Safety in numbers."

Cisco shot Barry a questioning look.

"I think Vibe and the Flash can handle any potential threats," Bartholomew responded.

"While Vibe is very powerful," Thawne agreed, stepping from the wall. "We don't know if he is equipped to take on that Speed Force creature."

"Speed Force creature?" Cisco asked. "And stop talking about me like I'm not here, Reverse."

"I'll explain later what he meant about the Speed Force creature," Barry muttered.

"And," Eobard added, tone becoming more persuasive. "What if _I'm_ attacked? You saw how quickly it incapacitated me before."

Barry sighed. "Let's just find the nexus, then we'll figure all that out."

"Nexus?" Cisco asked, bewildered. "Speed Force Creature? Which is a terrible name, by the way - and safety in numbers? Look, I have to have details."

"Like I said, I'll explain it all later," Barry replied, "...but I need you to vibe the next nexus in time. The next fixed point."

Cisco chuckled. "Dude, you should've just said so. Being cryptic is so not as cool as you think." He raised his visor. "Now, this may take a minute. Time is very fluid, and finding a fixed point...well, try finding a dime in a swimming pool. Luckily, these lovelies can help me hone in on it, specifically."

Assuming a solemn look, he raised the dark tech to his eyes. He fitted it to his face, tapping it. It glowed. He tensed.

Eobard watched, witnessing this power for the first time. He was fascinated by Cisco's abilities. He always had been, from the first moment he'd learned of them. In fact, on that day, in that cell, after hearing it, his first feeling had been regret. Regret, that he would not be able to help Cisco cultivate this new, raw, powerful ability. Cisco, who was brilliant, a prodigy, the son he'd never had. And he'd once felt regret that he would not be there to watch him grow into the powerful metahuman he would become. So powerful, in fact, he'd managed to survive the last century and more.

At least the regret was gone. Those days were over. Those days were ones of being Harrison Wells, the guiding, loving mentor. He wanted to roll his eyes at the very thought. _How did I ever get so weak?_

Cisco loosened up, sighing, pulling Eobard from his thoughts. He lowered the visor, blinking a few times.

"Well?" Barry asked. "Did you see the nexus?"

"I did," Cisco replied. "It's one month from now - thirty one days."

"You should thank me," Eobard announced to them.

"What?" Vibe asked.

"I did give you that ability, after all."

"Shut up."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've got a few things I wanted to say.  
> 1\. The nexus is a little headcanon of mine.  
> 2\. I ship Cisco and Gypsy(though the tags give that away), and Cisco is one of my favorites, so I had to bring him into this story.  
> 3\. I've been heavily inspired by Starset's new album while writing this story. It's possible there may be some subtle references as this goes on. ;)  
> And that's basically it. Hope to have the next chapter up within the next two days. Gah, this is definitely a slow burn because even I'm starting to get more than a little eager to get more out there. XD


	5. Like Old Times

"So," Eobard muttered, "the Flash, one of his buddies, and the Reverse Flash walk into a restaurant together."

"This sounds like the beginning of a horrible joke," Cisco commented.

"It is. I'm already regretting this decision. I may just puke."

"Don't do that, or I'll definitely destroy you."

"Leave," Barry said, "if you're that bothered."

"I would, but I am decidedly hungry."

Eobard decided not to speak further, and they settled into a table. He leaned back in his seat, but he was far from comfortable. Doing something so... _normal_ with the Flash, was just... _wrong_. His intentions, in accompanying the two, had been to perturb his foe, but it seemed to be backfiring. Neither Barry nor Cisco appeared to be as uneasy with the situation as he was. If it wasn't for their current problems... He halted his train of thought through great effort. He didn't have to like it. He just had to get through it.

They ordered, and while they waited, Barry explained what had occurred to Cisco. Eobard decided not to give any of his own opinions during that time. He was already out of his comfort zone and speaking might reveal it as a weakness if he wasn't careful enough.

"So..." Cisco said after Barry's lengthy explanation, "you're saying the Speed Force thing is...trying to kill you two because of your...war? Like, I didn't even know it was a war. More like a super one-on-one never ending duel..."

"Mmhmm," came the response.

"And you've gotta destroy that...thing, that imprisoned you both?"

"I don't see another way," Barry replied.

"Here's an idea, just off the top of my head," Cisco said, narrowing his eyes in thought and tilting his head. "Let's offer Dr. Evil to this thing. Then, maybe it'll leave you alone. I mean, it's simple science - if one player's gone from the game, then there isn't two to play...if you know what I mean."

Eobard raised an eyebrow and decided to speak up, "aw, you wouldn't do that to me, Cisco, now would you?"

"I am seriously considering it."

"Not that you even could..."

Barry shifted, and Eobard sensed uneasiness in him now.

_Interesting._

Flash responded, "it's all or nothing, Cisco. Not my terms, anyway."

Cisco sighed in turn.

The food robot came, serving their requests, and despite his hunger, Eobard ate his meal without haste. Cisco and Barry talked, but he found himself not paying attention to their conversation at all. Instead, his eyes had drifted to Barry without anything resembling permission from him. Disconcerted, he couldn't help but notice the Flash, sitting there, a mere foot away, close enough to touch, close enough to kill, close enough to hurt, but untouchable, invincible, immune. In the other speedster, he could sense the combination of feelings that had grown in intensity since they had arrived, similar to the discomfort and annoyance that he was experiencing.

_This is not a good time to pick a fight,_ he told himself. With great effort, he glued his gaze to his plate until he was finished.

"You know," Cisco said, "this is not nearly as enjoyable as I'd hoped." He turned his judgmental eyes upon Eobard. "Look, could you maybe...I don't know, give me and my friend some time to catch up? I don't suppose you have that much generosity, though."

"For you, Cisco, of course," Eobard replied, skin itching. In fact, the excuse to leave was perfect. He didn't want to have to be this close to Bartholomew Allen any longer. He didn't want to have to be civil, calm...an ally. He wanted to run to the other side of Central City and pretend that he was still plotting his nemesis's demise.

He stood up and caught sight of Cisco's eye-roll. He expected to feel the urge to grin, but he did not. He took a few steps away from them and stopped. He turned his gaze to the two men - both having grown so much from the past he knew them in, and yet, were still very similar - and he felt a strange sensation that he couldn't identify.

_Which of us is actually right? Does it even matter now?_

In a burst of Speed Force, he dashed away.

* * *

"Ugh," Cisco said. "I feel sorry for you. Having to work with him."

"Yeah, I feel sorry for me, too," Barry replied. "At least it's temporary. Still, I never saw it coming, that's for sure..."

"Neither did I. I suppose that's what happens when you live a long time...you see and experience some weird shit... So, how is Central City these days?"

"You know what?" replied the speedster as he leaned back. "It's been surprisingly good. I mean, so much has happened in our lives, but somehow, this city is a constant in everything that's always changing. Even though I know this city is changing all the time...it feels like it's not. Of the things that come and go, I will always have to protect it. Gives me purpose."

"That's understandable."

"How are things on your end? Is it going well in Wustread?"

"Never better, mostly," Cisco replied. "I think I'm this close-" he held up his hand, holding two fingers apart, "-to figuring out a problem I'm having with a device I'm using to detect nervousness or anger in others...like a poor-intentions detector - I'll think of a better name later... Oh, and on top of that - last week, Gypsy and I took out the Fighter's Guild that'd set up shop. Barry, these days, all I have to do is walk into a room...or, you know, teleport."

"Glad you have some help every now and then," Barry replied. He grinned. "Gypsy is certainly one of a kind..." He took a sip from his drink. "Do you think things would get complicated if we teamed up for more than just a few days, like old times? I mean, the worst trouble seems to come when we're together."

"Seems that way," laughed the other. "Sorry, I don't really have time for a team up right now, but maybe later. We may have taken out the Fighter's Guild, but some of their top agents escaped, so...yeah..."

Barry narrowed his eyes, amusement creeping into his tone. "Are you making excuses to avoid me?"

"Um...actually, I'm not, but if I were, it'd be because of Reverse Flash... Dude, why don't you have a team here? Even I stop in with the vigilantes and try to get Gypsy to help from time to time... But you... Every time I visit...I expect someone - not Thawne - to be with you."

Barry shrugged. "Guess I haven't needed anyone in awhile. I do just fine on my own these days."

"Uh-huh," Cisco said. "It wouldn't be hard. Make some friends, meet some _good_ people. You're good at getting people to like you, to be loyal to you. Hell, you could advertise, 'sidekick wanted'... I don't think it's good for you to be alone so much."

"I'm not...alone, really," Barry insisted. "I…" he trailed off. "I don't know. I'm always around people, y'know? When I'm not at work, I'm out there saving them on the streets."

"True...but you don't have anyone you can trust...like really _trust_. And dude, I wasn't going to bring it up...but seriously, you haven't even dated in...well, it's only been - what - sixty years? A hundred? A _very_ long time..."

"Not interested," Barry replied. "I just haven't felt those types of feelings in a long time. Not since Iris. I can't imagine anyone else taking her place."

Cisco sighed. "Look...I'm sorry. It's just - one day, you'll need someone. Like now. You went all lone-badass, and now you're stuck with Reverse as your new best buddy. It's simple logic. Bad things happen when you make bad decisions."

"I'll get rid of him, first chance I get..."

"Then what?" Cisco asked. "Something similar will happen."

"If it gets bad enough, I have allies like you," Barry said, confident. "Just because they don't live in Central City, doesn't mean I can't count on them."

They were silent for a few minutes, both getting lost in thought. Barry spoke, "hey, speaking of people who used to be in our lives, h-"

"You're going to ask about Killer Frost," Cisco guessed. "You only do this _every_ time."

"I can't help it. You have more connections, so-"

"Don't worry, Barry," Cisco said, "if I found her, you'd be the first person to know. You'd see just how fast _I_ can be."

"It's...been so long," Barry said. He exhaled. "Anyway, sorry, it's not good to get nostalgic now."

"And you say _that_ every time, too," Cisco replied, raising an eyebrow.

Barry knew that in all the fights he'd been in, his worst foe was not some monster or metahuman that would seek his death. No, his greatest enemy was his elongated lifespan and the compiled memories that came as a side effect...and a burden. It would be easy to get lost in them, to think on the past for too long, to torture himself with memories of what was gone.

But he'd gotten good at _not_ doing that.

"Well," he said, forcing cheer into his tone, "looks like I could pick your brain for some ideas on how to stop this Speed Force thing."

"Oh, that's how it is now? Picking my brain?"

"Yep."

A loud ping interrupted both of them.

Barry sighed, pulling the small block from his pocket. He held it up, and a screen projected into the air, telling him all he needed to know. "Robbery in progress at the bank, of course. This happens every time I try to take time off... I swear, I can go whole hours when I'm alone with nothing, but the moment I start doing something fun... Then again, it's not that unexpected that the criminals have gotten bold. I went missing for awhile, after all."

"Want help?" Cisco asked.

"Nah, shouldn't take too long," Barry replied. "Besides, it might not be a bad idea to remind them that yes, I'm still around. Alone, yet capable, too." He sped away, activating his ring to get his suit. He thundered across the streets, dodging past the gliders and vehicles. It wasn't long before he was aware of the other speedster racing next to him. He frowned, turning his head. "Thawne?"

_"Flash,"_ came the reply from the speedster keeping pace with him. _"Finally something interesting to do?"_

"Leave it to me. I don't need your help."

_"No, you don't, but you're getting it whether you like it or not."_

"I don't like it. What happened to you being a criminal?"

_"I do what suits my whims, Flash."_

"I've noticed." Barry had no more time to argue, though. They were at the bank. He burst in, halting to take in the scene. His eyes landed upon the robber.

"Ah," said he, hefting a gun that glowed with blue light.

_Probably a laser,_ Barry thought. Something that he could outrun if necessary. He loosened his stance.

"The Flash." The criminal grinned. He took a few steps, his long, dark coat flapping against his legs. He halted several meters away, where his voice could be better heard, it seemed. "They told me you were gone. Apparently, they were wrong."

"Apparently."

"Well," came the reply. "It's good I brought this." He raised his gun, its blue light flaring brighter.

_Let's get this over with._

Flash darted forward. His hands landed upon the weapon, intent on disarming it. It exploded in a shower of ice. He flew back. He hit the ground, rolling, feeling shock and pain, the cold biting him. He raised his eyes, seeing the destroyed weapon upon the floor, and the robber raising another.

_How was he unaffected by the blast? He must be using some kind of shielding tech._

He struggled to sit up, but the searing agony from the cold was slowing him down. He'd always hated when enemies brought cold guns. It'd happened every now and again throughout his time as a crime-fighter. It appeared that some criminals had taken notes from Captain Cold, the first to use ice against him.

He stood and saw that his enemy was pulling the trigger of a second weapon. A flaming bolt flew towards him. He found enough of the Speed Force to dodge.

There was a blur of yellow and red. The robber flew through the air, striking the wall. He hit the ground from a height that was at least ten feet. The Flash heard a loud, distinct crack.

The Reverse Flash stood there, staring at the criminal upon the ground. _"Idiot."_

In a flash of electricity, Barry slammed Eobard against a wall. "Why did you do that?"

_"I got bored."_

* * *

Eobard stared into the electricity-filled eyes, feeling the fists pressed hard into his chest and the anger radiating from his opposite. He was very attuned to the agitation, the energy, the Speed Force flowing off the other. It seeped into him, threatening to overwhelm him, to make him lose control, to make his hands fly out in an attack. His heart pounded, and his body was taut, emotions flooding his chest. Through great effort, though, he reigned in the impulse.

"He's not dead," Eobard said, trying to calm himself, "though he may not walk again soon. The crack came from his leg. Go see for yourself."

Narrowing his eyes in suspicion, the Flash released him. He turned and moved towards the criminal. He knelt down, checking the unconscious man's vitals.

"I knew you'd attack me if I killed him," Eobard said, "and I don't gain much by killing _your_ enemies."

He saw the other understand this truth, saw it in the way all of his body shifted as he turned to look back. "It was unnecessary," he said. "I had him."

"I know. I just got tired of watching. Seeing you get knocked on your ass was...not as entertaining as I thought it'd be."

In the air nearby, a portal appeared. Vibe jumped through, decked out in his tech-suit. "Oh. Great," he said, eyes landing on Eobard, "Evil is here." He looked around. "You alright, Flash?" He asked, looking Barry up and down, apparently noticing the ice damage the suit had sustained.

"Yep. I just got caught off guard. This guy had an exploding ice-gun that blew up when I went to disarm it. What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to make sure everything was alright. I thought you were a bit late getting back…"

The sounds of alarms outside caught their attention. "Looks like the police are here to clean up."

"Let's go."

Cisco reopened the portal, and they leapt through.


	6. Unwanted Attraction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit - I changed Gideon's dialogue so she now addresses Eobard as Professor Thawne.

Eobard walked into the cortex, holding a fresh mug of rich, black coffee. He glanced around in boredom, not surprised to find he was up and about first. He claimed a seat and sipped from his cup, enjoying the bitter taste. He tapped the interface of the desk with his fingertip. The holoscreen appeared on the wall. A news anchor-bot spoke, its tones dramatic and supportive of the written piece it presented.

"...Flash has apparently returned and stopped a robbery in progress at the Central City bank yesterday. The perpetrator was found unconscious with a broken leg. His name has yet to be disclosed. Surveillance was down, making it impossible to know what happened exactly, but the injury does lead to some interesting questions. Could this be a show of brutality on the Flash's part? And an uncommon one at that? Or was it collateral damage in self-defense? Could the Flash's vanishing and this subsequent violent injury on the criminal be linked? Is this to become common? All we know is that the Flash is not known for su-"

The screen vanished, to Eobard's disappointment. Watching the media smear the hero of Central City was a fun thing, though he knew their opinions were about as constant as the wind. One day, they might praise, and another, condemn; there was no definite for them.

_I should have killed that criminal,_ he thought. _They would have loved that._

"Well," Cisco's voice shook him from his thoughts. "That does it. I'm officially annoyed with Evilbard."

"You weren't before?" Thawne asked before he could stop himself. He turned to the metahuman and drank from his coffee.

"Yes, but now, it's _official_." He dragged out each syllable of the word. "Unless you missed how I said _'officially'_."

"Awww, I see." He drank again, slurping it to be annoying.

"It's not a big deal," Allen said, walking into the room. He was rubbing his eyes, looking fresh from sleep, and his hair stuck up in places, to Eobard's amusement. It was nice to be reminded that the Flash was far from perfect, as many liked to think. Even Central City's beloved hero got bedhead.

Allen continued, "it's not like this is the first time people disliked something they think I did...and it won't be the last."

Eobard was vexed by Allen's reaction. Doubt, disappointment, anger, or annoyance would have been appropriate, and was what he wanted to witness. Instead, the Flash showed little emotion in his response.

His enemy was not as vulnerable as he'd once been. In fact, the Reverse Flash felt the tiniest stab of grudging respect return to him again. Flash was a worthy opponent, even though he longed to prove otherwise.

Eobard changed the subject, "I don't know about either of you, but I really hate helping Mr. Hero do his work, so if we could figure out ho-"

"If you dislike it so much, why'd you help me yesterday?" Flash challenged, eyes narrowing.

Eobard met the gaze, hoping his expression was stony. "Because if you die, I won't be able to escape that Speed Force thing. And, I was bored."

"You need a good name for that Speed Force creature," Cisco realized, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

Barry looked like he wanted to say more to Eobard, but turned to Cisco. "Got an idea?"

"How about...Time Demon?"

Bartholomew grinned. "I like it."

"As much as I hate agreeing with Mr. Allen," Eobard said. "I like it too."

"It's settled then," Cisco said, raising his hand for a high-five with Barry. Barry gave him one with a satisfying smack.

"Mmm," Cisco said. "That was beautiful. Did you see that?"

"Sure did."

"So," Eobard spoke, "as I was saying - we need to hurry up and figure out how to defeat it."

"Well," Cisco announced, "after a good night's sleep, I got a few ideas. One really good one, too. See, Time Demon is much faster than both of you...so don't fight it with speed."

"I'm guessing you have a different idea of what to fight it with?" Barry asked.

"We destroyed a Time Wraith with frequency and soundwaves once, a really long time ago. I'll just need to calculate Time Demon's frequency and boom-" he clapped his hands, "speed will be written completely out of it - problem solved, and you," he pointed at Eobard, "can go back to being someone we want to lock up in a tiny cell without a toilet."

"And someone who is actively trying to kill you, Barry," Eobard said. He added, “actually, if it’s a matter of frequency, can’t we destroy it by phasing?”

“Well,” Cisco said, “I had that thought...but Time Demon is a Speed Force being and would likely be able to compensate for your frequency changes. I could make this hypothetical frequency weapon also able to disable the Speed Force in it long enough for the attack to destroy it.”

“I see. Clever Cisco, as always.”

“Don’t call me clever. Makes me sick.”

"Look," Allen said, "I've got to get to the CCPD soon. I know things have piled up in my absence. First, though, a shower. Cisco, could you maybe work on that sound weapon idea you have while I'm gone? I mean, if you have the time..."

"No problem. I told the base at Wustread I might be gone a day or two, and to call if there’s an emergency." Cisco scowled at Thawne. "Ugh, but I'm going to be stuck with him."

"I won't bother you," Eobard said. "Unless you want someone to talk to, that is."

"As if I'd ever want to talk to you."

"You're talking to me now."

"Not what I meant, and you know it," groaned Cisco, spinning around and walking away. Hesitating, he stopped. He turned. "Oh yeah, I've been meaning to say - if you want to stick a vibrating hand into my chest again, you're going to regret it this time. Trust me. I can fight back now."

Eobard gave a dramatic sigh. "Why would I want to kill you?"

"You answer that. Why _do_ psychopaths like you kill people?"

"I kill because I have to."

"Yeah, you _have_ to kill innocent people...why again?"

"Because of the Flash."

"Yep. You're insane. That's why I'm watching my back around you. I still remember what you murdering me felt like...so...stay away from me."

"I have no quarrel with you,and that other time...well, I'm sure I had no other choice."

"Yeah, I'm _sure_ you didn't," came the sardonic response as he left the room.

Barry followed, but not before saying, "you better behave yourself, Thawne."

"Yeah, yeah, sure."

Alone now, silence descended, to Eobard's annoyance. It occurred to him that this might be the perfect opportunity to explore the labs he’d left long ago. So he did, taking his coffee with him. Eobard strolled down to the Time Vault, for nostalgic reasons. He entered into the blank, white room with it's Braille-like bumps on the wall. It was strange to be back here after so long. A computer desk sat in the nearest corner, with various terminals built into it. His own was still intact at the end, and it sat, empty and unused for some time, by its looks. He tapped his wrist piece.

"Recognize this place, Gideon?" He asked.

"Yes, Professor Thawne," came the artificial intelligence’s reply. "This is the Time Vault you created to monitor the future when you became trapped in the past. It also contained the core that housed me during that time period."

Eobard smiled. “How right you are.” He strolled up to the terminal at the end. He put a hand to it, pressing the dial. "Gideon, show me the most recently accessed files."

"Yes."

A series of files pulled up as projections. Eobard looked over them and shook his head. "Of course, Allen," he murmured to himself. "I'm not at all surprised to find schematics on a 'quantum gravitational device'. So this is what the Flash gets up to in his spare time these days... This is quite interesting." He flipped through some files. "Gideon, is there an A.I. anywhere in S.T.A.R. Laboratories? Another...Gideon, possibly?"

"No A.I. detected. Records show that an A.I. also named Gideon was given as a gift from Head Crime Scene Forensics Expert Bartholomew Henry Allen to a Mr. Rip Hunter."

Eobard leaned back. "Interesting... Well, it is a good thing I stole you in the other timeline... It _was_ a good idea, on my part... And even now, Allen still has no idea the real reason we are enemies. He asked before...and the answer I gave him was more shallow than a puddle. It didn't come close to conveying the truth.... I wonder if he will..." he trailed off. "It doesn't matter."

“I don't understand. Is there something you need from me, Professor Thawne?”

“No. Nothing.” He tapped his wrist.

He shut things down and left the Time Vault, moving back down the hall, sipping from his coffee.

He passed by what appeared to be a living area that had been installed in the lab after Barry had moved into it. A few seconds later, he heard a noise from there. Bored and not wanting to miss out on an opportunity to engage his foe in a verbal debate, he backtracked to the room. He rounded the corner.

"You know, Barry-" He froze.

Barry stood there, naked. Or at least, Eobard thought so until he noticed the towel wrapped around his waist. Allen seemed to have just left the shower.

He felt the cup slide from his hands, hitting the ground with a shattering noise.

The other speedster scowled at him. "What _are_ you doing _here?"_

"I..." Eobard trailed off, taken with how the other seemed to glow there in the pale light.

The lingering water droplets on him shined. Enhanced by this effect, each shift of his tight skin could be seen in minute detail, and he was surprised by how... _entrancing_ the other looked. It was wrong to see his foe like this. What was worse, however, was how he couldn’t look away, how he couldn’t find any willpower to move, to speak, or how he couldn't think of anything in that moment but this man before him. The Flash was all color and flair when he suited up, but it was obvious that without the suit, he was just as radiant, warm, and impressive. Eobard felt the tingling electricity buzzing around him, saw the Speed Force flickering in the other's eyes.

A challenge.

"Well?" Barry demanded, interrupting his thoughts. Eobard saw his face shift for a second, a minute change that he knew could have been his imagination. And in that split-second image, he swore he’d seen confusion...then realization.

_Get ahold of yourself, Eobard,_ he thought, wishing he didn’t felt so paralyzed all of a sudden.

"Thawne," Barry said, gesturing. "Leave. _Now_." Anger seeped from him without warning.

Eobard found his voice. "I...I was going to say something, but I forgot... I'll just clean this coffee and ceramic up. Had a hand cramp." He shook said hand, for emphasis.

Barry rolled his eyes, his tension vanishing. He folded his arms, impatient.

Eobard speed-cleaned the mess up, forcing himself not to look at the other speedster, despite the faint Speed Force he sensed there. “You know, I just remembered...I was going to ask about Gideon...but we can talk about it later.” He left without waiting for a reply.

He wound up in the kitchen, taking another mug and getting more coffee. He couldn't shake the realization that he’d just seen his worst foe in a way he wished he hadn’t - in a positive line of thinking. Not only had it been positive, but it had also caused him to realize he found the other...appealing _..._  True, long ago, he'd already noted the other as being easy on the eyes...but outright attraction...after everything? _This is absurd. What does it matter how he looks? He's still the Flash, still my enemy..._  He shook his head, wanting to clear the lingering images away.

_It doesn't matter._  He would pretend it hadn't happened, and he knew Allen would do the same.


	7. The Heart Speaks Louder

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I read the New 52 Flash comics last week, because I was bored and curious. I want to say upfront that any similarities that may or may not arise between this story and those comics are pure coincidence. I had this all written out before I read them.

Eobard settled into the cortex. Letting the holoscreen play in the background, he busied himself otherwise by accessing the internet. He heard a ping. With a sigh, he pulled the holoblock from the pocket of his longcoat. He saw who was calling, frowned, and hesitated. After a second, he tapped it to audio-only, not wanting to be greeted with the glaring face that he knew would be on the other end.

"Yes?" He answered.

" _Eobard_.” The tone was scolding, already.

"Eisla," he responded.  "...now, I know why you're calling."

" _Do_ you know? Or are you just saying that to stem the tirade I'd love to give you?"

"Yes. I do. You want to make sure I remembered Mother's birthday party. Yes. Sunday. I know. I'm not stup-"

"You didn't show up to the summer party," she interrupted, voice stony. "You haven't called in almost _two months_! I didn't think you would answer this time, either."

"Yeah, okay...my bad? I didn't show up...that's because I didn't have time for the party.... I was...busy with a project." Eobard wondered if Reverse Flash was the reason...because he couldn't remember the actual reason he'd been absent.

"That's what you say every time you skip."

"Yeah, but I don't even skip _that_ often."

"It's at least every other one... Regardless, I'm just making sure you show up. Mother's going to come find you if you don't, you know."

"Yeah, yeah-"

"What _are_ you doing? Ever since you quit working with Sylaise, you've been doing _nothing_ , that's what. Come home, Eobard. Nobody here will judge you. We know you're trying your best to-"

"Sister," Eobard said, rubbing his temples. "I know you mean well, but I'm fine. I've got some promising interviews coming up."

"Uh-huh, like that last time you had an interview with NASA? Like that?"

"I-no, nothing like that. I told you, that fell through."

"Or you never had an interview, maybe?"

"Eisl-"

"Give me some credit. I'm not stupid, either."

He sighed. "Fine. There was no interview then, and there is no interview now."

"How are you surviving? You running with a gang or something?"

"No, nothing like that, Eis. I've been doing tech jobs here and there. A few thousand dollars every now and then to fix up a console or terminal. Gets me by. Look, don't tell Mother or Father. They wouldn't openly say anything, but to the outside world, it'd shame them that their firstborn has done very little with his career."

There came a dramatic sigh. "Fine. Just be at Mother's party Sunday, and your secret's safe."

"Thank you, Eisla," he said. "I was going to come even without the threat, though."

She snorted. "Step on you later, Eobard."

"Same to you."

The connection vanished. He dropped the block back to his pocket.

"Well, that was interesting," Cisco's voice announced behind him.

Thawne turned his chair around, raising an eyebrow. "Eavesdropping, huh? Hoping to find some deep, dark secret of mine to exploit? You won't... My sister may be eccentric...but that's because she was the surprise child...and got spoiled as a result. She's a great person, though...mostly..."

"You know, this is the first time I realized you had a family and kept contact with them." Vibe slammed a polymer-box onto the console table. "Do you love them?" He asked.

"A peculiar question," Eobard noted, turning away to prop his legs up on the desk.

"Well, do you?"

The Reverse leaned back, steepling his fingers. "If you call caring deeply about them love, then of course."

Cisco shook his head. "But you wouldn't even blink to kill them if necessary, would you?"

"What? Why would I do that?"

"Like, if it was between you and them. You'd murder them all without a second thought. Ends justifies any means? Remember? That's _you_."

"I know you think I'm a purely heartless killer," Eobard said. "And mostly, you'd be correct, but for those few I care about... I cannot imagine a scenario in which I would end their lives.”

“Even if you were, say, trapped in another timeline, or the past or future? And killing them was the only way to ensure you made it home?”

“Perhaps… I assume you are referring to the other timeline in which I killed you.”

"You're sick in the head," Cisco said. "No man should be willing to kill his family, no matter the circumstances."

"You think," Eobard said, " - and remember, we are talking absolute worst case scenario, here - that even if their deaths would be reversed by another timeline, and killing them was the only way to get back to that timeline, I should refuse to do it?" He glanced over at the other metahuman. "Again, worst case scenario."

Cisco leaned forward, glaring, and even though they had an entire room between them, Eobard could see all the anger in his eyes. "Yes, I do think that," he snapped.

"Why?" Thawne asked, startled. "If that timeline condemns them to a worse fate, th-"

"Because family is _important._ Trust me, I know. I hated my family, right up until they were gone. And it left this hollow, gaping hole in me that took forever to heal. Now, I wish I hadn't. I wish that I'd been closer to them... Because if you can't trust the people who care about you most, then who _can_ you trust?"

Eobard jibed, “your family weren’t exactly there for you, now were they? How _could_ you be close to them. Which reminds me - who sat and watched movies with you every year for so long because you didn't want to go to your brother's parties. Yeah, that was me.”

"If there's a certain set of people in our lives that we should be able to feel safe with, it's our family," Cisco said, seeming to reiterate his point. "And you willing to kill them, even for a valid reason, makes them _unsafe_ , and even if it's a small chance they're unsafe, that's still wrong."

A flash of speed and electricity filled the room, interrupting them, and Barry dropped into one of the rolling chairs, letting it fly across the floor. It rolled to a stop when it reached the far wall. He was chowing down on something steaming and pleasant to smell that he'd seemed to have picked up on the way.

"And yep, there was a ton of work while I was gone," he announced in a loud voice. "Sorry I'm late - decided to grab some food... Did you get anything built, Cisco?"

"I didn't even know you were late...but, yep," Cisco said, "I just got done a little bit ago, in fact." He reached into the box he'd brought in and lifted out a weapon, which glinted with black metal. It had what looked like several vents and holes on its side. "I call this the _Punch_. It'll destroy your Time Demon with a _single blast_... I hope. I used Rathaway's files from forever ago to tune them properly. Unless the Demon is different than the Wraith by miles, you're good. If the first blast doesn't work, tune the frequency down more, and up the intensity - here, I'll show you." He crossed the room to his friend.

As Barry was shown the workings of the weapon, Eobard said, "good. I'll be glad to put this behind us sooner rather than later."

As soon as the words left his mouth, there was a loud pinging noise from Cisco's gauntlet. "Hold on a minute," he said. He took out a small device from it and raised it to his ear, hooking it there. "Yeah," he said, pacing. "Uh-huh?" He froze. "Wait a minute, did you say _Deep Freeze_?"

Barry's face filled with confusion.

Eobard smiled, a guess forming in his mind.

"And you have coordinates, I assume?... Uh-huh.... Uh, yeah... Well, that's actually not that surprising. Why didn't _I_ think of that? You're one hundred percent sure on this, Gypsy?... Okay, thank you so _much_... Yeah, send it right on over, I am forever in your debt... Seriously? Right _now_? Oh...fine..."

He pulled the device from his ear, his gaze turning to Barry. For a moment, he just stared, as though trying to process his thoughts.

"What is it?" Allen asked.

"It's...Killer Frost... We've found her."

"Killer Frost?" Barry asked, astonishment dominating his features.

"Yeah. I know, right? It's crazy," Cisco said. "Now of all times... Unfortunately, the base is under attack, so I have to return, but I'll go ahead and toss the coordinates to her location over. We'll plan when to go as soon as I've got the situation under control."

"Okay, sounds good," Barry said, "or, you know, I could go to the coordinates and get her while you take care of _that_."

"You shouldn't go alone," Cisco said. "Cold and speed have never gone together well, remember?" He checked over his gear, adjusting things. He raised his visor to his eyes. "Alright, we'll talk about this later."

They clasped hands.

"Good luck," said the Flash.

Cisco opened a portal, leapt through it, and was gone.

Silence filled the room, which Eobard broke. "You know," he said, "you don't have to wait."

Barry jumped, turning around. "Almost forgot you were there. Didn't know you could be quiet," he muttered.

"I can tell you're dying to find her."

"Oh yeah?" Barry asked. "What makes you think that?"

"Just that fidgeting thing you did," Eobard said, wanting to annoy him a bit.

It worked. "What? _Fidgeting_ thing? What are you talking about?"

"Hard to explain. Regardless, I know how important she was to you, once, at least... A dear friend. And you were never one to abandon your friends, Hero, even if a century and more has gone by..." He shifted himself back, saying, "we could speed to those coordinates in minutes. By the time Cisco's called, you'll be able to give him the great news that Caitlin is back."

"No, that's stupid," Barry said, "he doesn't like me. She has shown herself to be more tolerant of Cisco, though. We'll need him to get through the Killer Frost part of her."

"So we knock her out and throw her in the pipeline. You still have that, I assume?"

"Were you not listening?" Barry asked. "Cold and speed don't go together, and we're both speedsters."

"Two very powerful speedsters."

"Versus one very powerful, very merciless ice-meta." He frowned. "Why would you even help me with this, anyway?"

"To make sure you don't die... And it may surprise you to hear this, Barry, but in my own way, I regret Caitlin's fate."

Bartholomew's face darkened. "You're unbelievable. After everything, you have no right to say that. It's your fault she is the way she is. You put her in the path of the accelerator."

"And you changed the timeline, right? Caitlin's fate is an unintended consequence of both our misguided actions."

Barry stared back, giving nothing away. “What’s your point?”

"My point, Allen, is that our actions are not always who we are, are they? Most people love that old saying - 'actions speak louder than words'. Well, true...but heart. Feelings. Emotions speak even louder than those actions, in my opinion. You risked _everybody and everything_ , to try and bring your parents back. Does that make you evil, Allen? You merely _acted_ on a moment of weakness you had at one point, and it does not make you that person... And what I _feel_ , in my heart, is regret for Caitlin's fate. That goes beyond the fact that I am partially responsible for it. Is it so hard to believe that I want to help her? And you know, Cisco will never let me go with you both. That's why I want to go now, with you alone, and bring her back."

Barry continued to stare at him, warring emotions in his gaze. But it wasn't just his gaze, either. Eobard could feel the way his molecules buzzed, a mixture of anger, confusion, doubt, and sorrow.

Eobard said, "I worked with Caitlin for years. And Cisco. And they stood by Harrison Wells, even after he was 'disgraced' as far as they were aware. True loyalty. I have only ever admired them for the strong people they are...and even if you all hate me now... I don't see why I can't help."

Barry leaned against a table, frowning. "I just don't know. I can never trust you, Eobard, and even after your pretty speech, that's why I can't let you come. I can't trust you with my life, with Caitlin's, with her mental condition... I can't trust you won't manipulate her. Maybe you would goad her into killing me and help her do it, too."

Eobard huffed. "Why would I do that?"

"Why do you do anything against me?"

"I have to work with you to stop the Time Demon."

"For now," Flash said. "What about in the future? And how do I know one hundred percent that your hate for me won't outweigh your sense."

"I'm not _stupid,_ Bartholomew," he said. "If you get killed, _I'm_ dead. I value my life over my want for revenge. And I care about Caitlin."

Allen sighed, beginning to pace. "Hearing you _care_ about anyone is... _weird_..."

"Come on," Eobard said. "I'm not _evil_ , Barry, even though you want to think of me that way. I hate you from the bottom of my heart, but that doesn't mean I hate everyone... I'm just _your_ enemy, Flash. And I'm being forced to work with you, for better or worse - definitely worse."

"You are a very sociopathic and ruthless enemy. Makes you a little hard to trust."

Eobard said, letting his tone fill with resignation, "okay, we won't do this, then. Have it your way," He supersped across the lab, stopping at one of the terminals. Coursing with Speed Force, he flew through its data.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Barry asked, walking over.

Eobard leaned back, saying, "I lied. We aren't doing this your way, after all...but mine."

"What?"

"I have Cisco's coordinates. I'm going." He smirked and felt the hair-raising electricity of the Speed Force, seeing the red of his own lightning. His voice became teasing and distorted by vibrations. " _Catch me if you can, Flash_."

He sprinted out.

"Get back here, Thawne!"

Eobard knew, without a doubt, even without a backward glance, that the other was pursuing.

_Just as expected._


	8. Antarctica

It was snowing. A lot. Eobard reflected that perhaps sprinting halfway through Antarctica was going to require a greater effort than anticipated, even for a speedster of his strength. With the cold, the snow, and the terrible landscapes, it was difficult to maintain full speed. Also, he had another problem adding to the challenge - the Flash was not far behind.

He approached a deep gash in the ice and leapt. The Flash slammed into him. Tumbling, Reverse Flash landed hard on a thick coating of snow and jagged ice. He groaned, rolling over, but the Flash was there. Anger seized him, and he snarled, catching a blow aimed at his head. He pushed the enemy backward, knocking the other speedster off balance. He leapt to his feet, fiery pain shooting through him, but fading fast. He traded several blows with his foe. A fist hit his shoulder, but his own found a stomach. The Flash doubled over at the sudden impact, and Eobard slammed a knee into his mask. His opposite hit the ground.

_"You, Flash_ ," he snarled in his distorted voice, _"you have to be a damned hero, no matter what. Even if you compromise your values, even if you do wrong, even if you screw up, you're still the hero of Central City, the god of the lowly!"_ He kicked the other. _"But look at you now, mewling at my feet. Oh, if only the masses could see you like this, low, pathetic, bleeding-"_

Allen lashed out, slamming a fist into Eobard's knee. The Reverse Flash collapsed with a cry.

"I'm not the only one who can bleed!" Came the response.

Eobard twisted over, catching the other's neck in his hands. He squeezed, but in a burst of vibrations, the Flash was gone. He twisted to find a fist flying toward his face. He dodged. It missed. With an awkward twist, Barry slipped on the ice, exposed, and Eobard saw his chance. He surged a vibrating hand forward, sinking his fingers into the other's stomach. He pulled back, feeling warm blood dripping over his hand. The Flash screamed in pain, crashing in the snow.

Reverse Flash felt a rush of vindictive pleasure. He readied himself for more, but the other did not rise to face him as expected. His anger and enjoyment faded to be replaced with uncertainty. The Scarlet Speedster rolled over, panting, hand dropping to the injury. The snow beside him was deep crimson. He groaned, baring his teeth in agony.

Eobard narrowed his eyes. A concerning amount of blood spread across the speedster's abdomen, but it was ludicrous. He'd tried to kill the Flash _so_ many times, and none of his blows that shallow had ever had such an impact. This couldn't be happening, could it? "I hope _that_ doesn't kill you. I was trying to keep it shallow."

Barry hissed, "damn it. It...it isn't regenerating." His head dropped back onto the snow.

Eobard felt a strange worry spread through his chest. It would be pure bad luck if he had struck too deep without realizing, and he would be left at the mercy of the Time Demon, a very powerful monster he knew he wouldn't be able to face alone. He refused to let that happen. He knelt beside the Flash and reached forward. His foe stiffened, clenching his jaw, but made no move to stop him. He felt the wound; it was a clean hit, but just as Allen had said, there was no evidence of it healing. It shouldn't be deep enough to be fatal, either - not for a speedster. Barry gasped and his eyes flashed, angry and pained. He knocked Eobard's hand away.

The Reverse shook his head, noting the red painting his fingers. "I don't understand..." he trailed off, realization hitting him. "It's this place. It's too cold."

"That's...just...great..."

"The cold is sapping your strength. It's probably nearly forty below. To counteract it, your body is burning a lot of energy, and our fight probably left you running low. The wound probably is trying to heal...just a lot slower. More like a normal person..."

"What, I need to...eat something?" Allen sassed. "If...I...die...like this... I'm going to come back and haunt you..."

"I'm _so_ terrified," Eobard snapped back, mocking. He looked away from the accusing glare, trying to think.

_Why were you so rash, Eobard?_ He asked himself. _So eager to oppose the Flash you decided to not think ahead? If I had taken the time to plan, I would have realized this would happen. I pulled an 'Allen', and look where it's gotten me... Wait...what if...?_

He furrowed his brow, an idea forming. "This is probably a horrible time to ask how well you trust me, Flash."

"Yeah... What do you think?"

"Since you're life is in my hands right now," Eobard said, "it seems you have no choice."

The other gave no reply.

"Hmm... With this cold, and our fight, I don't have enough strength to take you somewhere warmer before you bleed to death...but I think I can get your regeneration working... As you should already know, a speedster creates excess energy when he uses the Speed Force. Energy that just flows away... And by vibrating, I think I can give you enough energy to heal..."

"Okay...but why ask if I trust you?"

"Because I'm going to have to get close enough for you siphon off a significant amount of that energy, and I don't need you fighting back, thinking I'm trying to kill you..."

"I see."

"So, Allen." Eobard grinned like a wolf. "Do you trust me?"

"Never."

"Good."

Changing the speed of his own body's frequency, he called upon the Speed Force. He leaned down, placing himself over the Flash. Barry tensed under him, discomfort showing on his face. Eobard placed his hands above the other's shoulders, focusing on the action of generating energy like a battery for his enemy. Their gazes locked, full of fire, anger, hate - the complex emotions between two immortal foes. Eobard found himself mesmerized again, like when he’d stood before the half-bare Allen. This strange moment was flooded with all of the same implications. He didn’t want to understand why he enjoyed this so much, even if he already knew the answer on a subconscious level - an answer he would never admit to anyone. Once upon a time, the Flash had been his hero, and he could almost remember why.

Even though it was unnecessary, he pressed closer to the other man, allowing all the excess energy to flow to him. His face was too close to the Flash's, and he was aware that a mere few inches kept him away from the one who was so important to his own identity. In a way, despite their differences, he knew that the only reason he held such power as he did now was because of the Flash.

Barry disappeared in a burst of lightning. He halted a few paces away, not looking at Eobard.

Eobard pushed up from the snow and realized that he'd been knocked away. He felt sudden fear. Did the Flash realize what he'd been feeling in that rather...intimate moment? He knew it was possible, and that thought alone alarmed him. He rubbed his face, forcing himself to calm his racing heart, to give none of his own thoughts away, to soothe the uncomfortable frequency he was now vibrating on before the other realized the truth. He needed to regain control of the situation, and he knew how.

" _I'll meet you at the coordinates, Flash,_ " he growled, speeding away.

He needed to run.

* * *

“Gideon, what is this place?” Eobard asked.

“Scanning. It appears to be an abandoned research facility.”

“What kind?”

“Approximately one hundred and seventy years ago the government started sending several specialized teams to the arctic regions to study the effects of global warming more thoroughly. The teams were cycled out frequently. However, the last teams sent here were pulled a few decades after the project had begun before results could be conclusive due to funding issues.”

“I see.”

The Flash appeared at his side, scowling.

The temperature was starting to catch up with Eobard, and he found himself vibrating with the Speed Force to stay warm. He sensed Barry doing the same.

"Would it be too much to go back to Central City now?" Barry asked, gasping at the cold air. "You've made your point... I believe you...okay? You care about Caitlin... How nice... Thawne, it really is not good for us to be here, in such a cold environment, with no back-up." He raised his holoblock, projecting a screen. "My suit readings say that it is nearly sixty below. If we weren't metahumans, we'd be good as dead. Not to mention we need...plenty of energy... Power bars would be good right now."

"Well, we're here now, and I'm going to bring Caitlin home. I'll be generous, though. You can stay _here_ and cry, if you're that scared."

Eobard began to traipse down the slope. He heard an annoyed hiss behind him.

"Eobard."

For some reason, even though he didn't want to, he halted. He turned. "What?"

"You know this could go very horribly, right?" Barry said, tromping towards him through the knee-deep snow. The annoyed look still hadn't left his face.

"Likely," Eobard replied, shrugging. He looked away, clenching his jaw. "Part of the reason I did this, was to remind myself once again of how much I hate you."

"What?"

"I knew we would fight when I ran off. It was inevitable...and I knew it would make me think of how much I hated you. I enjoy hating you."

Barry snorted. "As if you need a reminder."

"True, but I enjoyed one all the same. I could never forget. But maybe you could…being so optimistic as you are. So don’t. No matter what I may be forced to do for - or with - you, I will always _abhor_ you, Bartholomew Allen, with every fiber of my being, and everything you are and stand for. Nothing will ever change."

“Don’t worry. I know. And the feeling is perfectly mutual, Eobard Thawne."

“Good.” The Reverse Flash grinned and gestured towards the facility. "Shall we?"

"After you."

The two speedsters blasted into the old facility, not bothering with subtlety. Inside, the place held all the traits of the abandoned research center Gideon had said it was. Broken equipment and terminals were littered here and there. Eobard could smell a faint metallic odor. There were stains, and the walls had glittering sheets of ice attached to them.

"Moisture was on the walls at some point," he pointed out. "Strange. This climate is too cold for ice to melt, then evaporate enough to collect on the walls."

"Probably caused by the researchers' presence. I'll bet that ice has been here for decades," Flash replied. “ _They_ had to stay warm, right?”

"Well, this place looks deserted. Maybe Cisco was wrong..." Eobard cast his gaze around again. "How did he find it, anyway?" He held up a hand to stop the reply. "Oh wait, that's right, you don’t know and you didn’t ask? You just took it all at face value."

"I trust Cisco," Flash shot back. "Anyway, I didn't really have time to get the details."

"Hm, right. Though, if you had gotten details, we would have been better prepared."

"For your information, Thawne, you are the reason we’re here now and unprepared. Besides, you lost the right to lecture me when you betrayed my trust." The Flash glared at him. "If Cisco said Killer Frost is here, then she's here. He would only have told me if he was absolutely sure... We haven't even searched yet," he pointed out. Without a heartbeat more, he sped around the facility. Eobard folded his arms and allowed his nemesis to do the work. The noise of the speeding man halted. "Found something," he called.

Eobard took his time strolling into the room. His eyes landed on an elevator, that unlike the rest of the place, wasn't frozen shut. "Well, well, there's more here than meets the eye." Thawne studied the door. "You know, I'm assuming that if we get into this elevator, we'll be giving complete control of our lives over to a presumably insane metahuman."

"Well, what else can we do, knock?"

"I suppose we could phase out if it turns into some kind of death trap." Eobard tapped the button. "I wonder how this has stayed operating for so long. Caitlin was a bio-chemist and doctor. Not an engineer."

"Never too late to learn?" Flash asked.

The doors dinged, opening. The dark metal walls of the elevator matching the rest of facility were just as ominous.

"How could anyone live here?" Flash breathed, gazing around and then into the lift. “I’d go insane.”

"That’s because you are pathetic," Eobard returned.

Flash rolled his eyes. "Not as pathetic as you… After you, Thawne."

Eobard looked into the metal box that was the elevator, sighed, and stepped forward. "Go ahead and admit it, you're terrified."

"If I am, then so are you."


	9. Killer Frost

When the elevator started, it groaned like a beast not wanting to waken. Eobard was just glad that he could escape if it broke and sent them plummeting to whatever unknown depth was below. Perhaps some foresight could have been useful here, though, to prevent this new annoyance. He did not like being in another box with the Flash, this one even smaller than the last. The Speed Force crackled in the air with their adrenaline and tension, a rather unpleasant effect. The smell and taste of blood lingered in Eobard's nose and mouth, a vague memory of every fight they'd ever had, and yet…

The image of Barry still lingered in his mind, half-covered, water that hadn't evaporated yet shimmering like tiny diamonds on his smooth skin - skin that should have borne a lifetime of scars on it but healed too fast to leave such evidence of all the battles he'd fought.

The elevator ground to a halt, jerking Eobard from his unwanted thoughts. The doors opened with a loud squealing, and the two speedsters stepped out.

"We," Reverse Flash commented, "can just forget any element of surprise we might have had."

"Doesn't matter. We're going to try and reason with her, anyway."

"Can't wait to see how that goes..."

The space here was larger than Eobard had been expecting. It seemed to be a pure ice-cavern, and old technology jutted from the frozen water as if it didn't belong there. The walls and ceiling were also covered, adorned with jagged crystals and stalactites. A single path of metal left untouched lead through the room. Eobard's breath plumed in the air, more noticeable in the pale lights shimmering under the ice. It was colder, too, if possible, and he pulled more Speed Force to his cells to compensate for the change.

The Flash's heart-rate picked up, more adrenaline pumping through him. Eobard felt himself mirroring the reaction.

_We may be opposites, but we are also reflections of each other,_ the strange thought wormed into his consciousness.

A voice called down the room, "well, _this_ is definitely _not_ what I was expecting." The woman stepped from a shadowed crevice, her blonde-white hair flowing around her shoulders. Her silver eyes glowed, and she gave a heartless smile. "Certainly, not the _two of you_ , together, like the best of friends."

"Hey, Killer Frost," Barry said.

She placed her hands on her hips. "Hello to you too, Flash... Like what I've done with the place?"

"I'm sure it's an improvement to what it was."

"Thank you. I thought so too." Her smile faded. "You know, I expected you to say the _other_ name."

"As much as I want to...I know you don't care much for it."

She looked at the floor and took a few more steps, letting the lights of the makeshift cave illuminate her better. She shifted her icy gaze onto him without blinking. "You have a good memory, Flash." She pursed her lips, pointing one finger. "Tell me, what is _he_ doing here with you? Or has Central City gotten more interesting since I've last been there. Is the Flash no longer the hero?"

"It's...a long story, but basically, we have a common enemy and have to work together."

"And you, what, need my help? Is that why you came to me?"

"No, it's not… I've been looking for you for a long time, Ca-Killer Frost," Allen replied, shifting in obvious discomfort. "I think I know how to help you now, too. There are some promising technologies being developed that can unsplice mutated D.N.A.-"

"Stop," she said, eyes narrowing. "I'm not looking for help, Flash. Now, tell me why you're really here."

"I'm not lying... I came here to find you. To convince you to come back to Central City. To convince you to...come home."

She threw her head back and gave an emotionless, forced laugh. She refocused her frozen expression on him. "If that's really why you're here, then why is the Reverse Flash with you?"

"I didn't want him to come, but he insisted," Barry replied, annoyance dripping from his words.

"You never could stop him, could you? He always got away..." Killer Frost turned and started walking. "Does it pain you to know that no matter what you do, there will always be one foe you cannot defeat? You weren't meant to win _every_ fight. You're weaker than you know, Flash."

Eobard chimed in, “she has a point.”

Barry followed her, not taking the bait from either of them with his remarkable self-control...or was it apathy? Eobard wasn't sure anymore. It occurred to him that the Flash's vibrations were shifting, almost as if the other now realized their strange connection and was masking his emotions. _About time he realized it..._

Barry was talking, "...please, Caitlin, we can help you now. We can give you back your life."

"I don't have a life as Caitlin Snow anymore."

"You used to."

She paused at the end of the cavern and turned, sitting upon a throne of ice. She crossed her legs, leaning back as though relaxing. "What makes you think I want it back?"

"Because you came here," Barry said. "If you were truly Killer Frost, you would be out there, killing. Instead, you locked yourself away from the world so you wouldn't hurt anyone. You've always been Caitlin. You always will be. No matter what the powers did to you, you are still you...and I can fix my mistake."

"I knew it... So that's what this is really about, fixing your mistake. It’s about _you_ ," Killer Frost snapped, sitting up. "You always _have_ to be the hero, Barry. It's an obsessive compulsion. If you aren't saving someone, or fixing what you broke, you're worthless, right?"

"Perhaps the Barry then, was like that," Flash said. "But not now. I know where I can help, and where I cannot."

Eobard knew even a blind and deaf man could see that this conversation was going nowhere fast. He decided to try his own approach. "Actually, Killer Frost, I know the truth; he's not a hero. He's-"

She tossed him a glare, eyes glowing brighter. "Stop talking, Eobard Thawne. It was your accelerator that made me this way. You don't deserve to speak to me."

"And if you didn't care about it, you wouldn't be angry. You don't want to be Killer Frost, do you? Not truly, anyway. You just think you do. Trust me...I can tell when a murderer enjoys their work...or doesn't."

"I said. Stop. _Talking_. You know nothing about what I want."

Barry interjected, "Killer Frost, I want to help because there was a time when we were friends. Good friends, who could not abandon each other in even the darkest times."

"Friendship means nothing after it's been broken...and you are wrong about me, Flash," she said, exhaling. "I have not been here for as long as you think. A few days, maybe... Before, I traveled around, did a lot of interesting things, met interesting people. You really think I could sit in an icebox for _decades_ , all by myself, pretending that I needed to do the right thing?"

"We would have heard of you, if you had traveled around," he insisted.

"I didn't say I traveled around _this_ world," she laughed. "I went to other Earths. I knew you wouldn't find me halfway across the multiverse. But I also knew you would find me coming back now... So predictable... "

"Why _did_ you return, then?"

"Why," she said, voice sweet, "because I _wanted_ you to find me this time.... I'm ready to kill you, Flash. That's why I came here, to Antarctica. You'll be considerably weaker here, where it's very cold for hundreds of miles around. Do you think you stand a chance? Yet you came anyway... One wonders how you're still alive, being so suicidal."

Eobard snorted. "So much for your plan to talk to her."

Flash snapped, "it would have worked if we'd brought Vibe, like I'd originally intended."

Killer Frost laughed. "You thought Vibe-boy could talk me down? You really don't know me at all..." She stood, eyes glinting.

"Wait, wait," Barry said. He shook his head. "I may not know this you...but I know there's another you... So why? Why do you think we _have_ to fight?"

"Because you'll never let me be _Killer Frost_ , who I am. You are obsessed with turning me back into Caitlin Snow, the weakling, and you will never give up on it. You would lock me away and take these powers from me. You would end who I truly am. But now, I've finally surpassed you, Flash, so I've come back to this world, my home, to live as I am. Without you in the way. And it's my lucky day. Now I get the added pleasure of putting a chunk of ice through Thawne's twisted heart. Two speedsters, one shard of ice... You want to help me, Flash? Then you'll have to die for me, so I can return to my true home!" She threw her hands out, tips drifting mist.

Eobard didn't wait. He shifted into motion, the world slowing to a slug's crawl around him. He had to watch his step, though, on the floor of ice. He saw Barry rushing for the other side of Killer Frost.

She glowed with power, a thick cloud forming around her. Eobard's intent had been to dive in and knock her out in a single hit, but the stinging cloud was littered with bits of ice that cut at him. He pressed more speed into his stride, pushing through regardless. He reached the woman and raised a fist. She turned, and he realized that she'd slowed him down more than he'd expected. She threw her hands forward. A block of ice slammed into his midsection, thrusting him against the frozen wall. Agony stabbed his lungs, and the air left him.

He slid down the ice, gasping at the cold seeping straight through his cells. He struggled to move. He managed to roll onto his side. He heard a feminine cry and saw that Flash had caught her a blow. Allen staggered back to escape the extreme cold, even as Killer Frost dragged herself from the floor. She yelled what sounded like a battle-cry, face enraged, and a thick armor of ice formed on her body. She raised both hands, icicles growing on each fingertip.

Eobard pushed up, struggling to find purchase on the ice. He ducked a volley of ice spears that shot down the cave.

Barry darted in, arms a blur of speed punches. The ice-armor shattered under his assault, but Caitlin twisted and flung her arm out, a wave of frozen water unleashed upon him. The Flash cried out and hit the ground, sliding several feet away. He slammed against the far wall, headfirst, and made no further move.

_Out like a light. Great._ Reverse Flash inhaled and took a step forward.

Killer Frost looked at him and laughed. "I'm going to have _so_ much fun tonight."

_I'm too slow when I get close to her... I need another plan of attack..._

She broke into a run toward him, holding perfect balance on the slippery surface. Eobard phased, but realized it was a mistake too late. The sheer cold of the cloud around his foe enveloped him. It slowed his vibrations and forced him out of his invulnerable state. He yelled in pain, feeling the shards of ice trapped under his skin, in his body. Killer Frost lashed out with her spear of ice, and it sank into his leg. Dark blood blossomed from the wound. He howled again, collapsing to his good knee. The cloud around her faded, and she stared at him with merciless eyes. He struggled to call enough energy to stave off the cold, shivering.

"That was a rather dumb move, Genius," she said. "You know, after I became who I truly was, I wanted to kill you, Thawne, as much as I wanted to kill the Flash. After all, it was your wonderful little plan that got Ronnie sucked into a black hole...that let Zoom into our world...that made Barry run back in time and fuck everything up...that lead to more and more and more problems until I broke... I guess you and the Flash do have something in common, after all - you've both made me want to murder... And the fact I finally get to end you now is _wonderful_. I get to do what he never could... I plan to savor it."

Icy fingers locked onto his neck. He met her gaze, paralyzed by the cold. 

"You want to know a secret, though?" she whispered. "It's a funny secret, because you're right. I _will_ regret this later."

"Then don't do this," he rasped, "...besides...if...it weren't for me...you would never have had those people in your life... You would not have had the experience of knowing them...of being apart of something greater... So think...really hard...about what you're doing... I know you're smarter - and better - than this...Caitlin..."

She tilted her head. "You're right... I guess you deserve a little kindness, for the power you gave me. Maybe even a reward. How about...a kiss?" 

She slammed her frozen lips against his.

He couldn't resist, couldn't breath, couldn't think. Feeling began to seep out of him, pure numbness decelerating his cells. He felt his heart beat slower and slower, felt the darkness creeping across his vision, but his ability to perceive that was fading, too.

_Never thought this would be how it ended... Karma's a bitch..._

"AGH!" Caitlin's grip left him.

Dizzy, he slumped forward. With just enough thought left to think it, he shivered, vibrations running through him. He phased, feeling the ice trapped in his body fall free. He solidified and his heartrate increased, becoming stronger. Drawing shaky breaths, he tried to move, but numbness lingered in his head, neck and chest. In seconds, a dull ache replaced the lack of sensation, and he turned his gaze up to the commotion that was now the fight. 

He saw the Flash, up and fighting, struggling to land a hit on their foe while avoiding her attacks, but he was giving her far too wide a berth to get an edge on her. Eobard knew that the Flash was aware of the dangers of getting too close.

He had another idea.

After a few more moments, he pushed himself up. He winced at the pain that shot through his leg, but he ran over to Barry, ignoring it. "Distract her!" he commanded, using the Speed Force to make his words coherent to Barry alone.

"Since when do I take orders from you?" The Flash returned. They dodged a volley of ice shards.

"Since now. You distract her. I'll hit her."

"Whatever," Flash grumbled, "I don't feel like arguing at the moment...but you'd better do your part, or I'm dead." 

He dashed in, racing tight laps around Killer Frost. She hesitated. Reverse Flash felt confident the glow from the Flash's yellow electricity would block her line of sight to him.

He made his own laps, further away. Each step was less painful than the last, and he increased his speed, taking advantage of the Speed Force's endless energy. Crimson lightning built up in his wake. The ice under his feet melted and steamed.

Killer Frost roared and let out a wave of ice in a radius around her. Barry was flung back like a ragdoll, collapsing against the wall.

Eobard skidded to a halt. He let the red electricity flow off his hand. The bolt of energy struck Killer Frost in the chest. Her feet left the ground, her powerful aura evaporating. She struck her own throne, and it shattered. Flash appeared there in an instant, his fist slamming against her temple before she could recover. He fell to his knees next to her, gasping and shivering, struggling to recover from the cold.

“Well, that wasn't very fun,” he muttered.

"I thought it was." Eobard paced over. He brushed his hands together. "I made a perfect shot," he added, letting pride trickle into his voice. He looked down at their unconscious enemy. "And because of that, we won. I told you we could do it without Cisco."

"Be quiet," came the reply.

"You really hate being wrong, hm? Or is it the fact that we had some real teamwork there...thanks to me..."

The other said nothing.

Eobard, in spite of the energy he'd lost, felt refreshed from the running he'd done to gather his lightning. To the contrary, he could sense the vulnerability in the Flash. The Scarlet Speedster had sacrificed much of his own energy and strength in those last crucial moments to bring down their enemy. He hadn't yet regained it, still warming and healing himself. It was not lost on the Reverse Flash that he had followed his plan without fault, had  _allowed_ himself to become this vulnerable because he hadn't believed that Eobard was planning to deceive him.

_In his own way, despite his claim…_ _He trusts me not to end his life…_ _Even if it's just here and now…_

_Trust._

_He should never trust me. Not even now. Not for a minute. It is careless, hopeful, ignorant - a mistake he should know not to make._

Even if, in the back of his mind, he knew it was unreasonable - they'd needed to bring Killer Frost down, after all - Thawne felt the anger rising in his chest, the venomous desire to harm there. He wanted to punish the Flash for letting himself get so weak and for trusting him, to show him the error of such.

He clenched his fists and tensed, glaring at the back of the other speedster's head.

He couldn't, though.

More injury to his foe would just complicate the situation, and he was in no hurry to have a repeat of earlier.

He gave a dry laugh. "Look at this. I could kill you right now, as you kneel there, waiting for the executioner’s axe to fall...but fate is...so fickle... If I didn't need you alive, I wouldn't have such an opportunity to destroy you."

"Aren't you so unlucky?" Flash asked, tone biting.

"Yep. Poor me. I don't get to kill you...yet. But I will, one day. Sometime after a month from now, if Cisco is correct."

"The day that you can kill me, will be the same day that I can defeat you. And I think we both know who wins."

"I think we do... I _know_ you, Flash." Thawne knelt beside his enemy, placing a hand on his shoulder. He grinned. "Admit it. You want to kill _me_ just as badly as I want to kill you. Come on, after everything I've done, all the people I've murdered, all the ones that I've harmed, _you_ worst of all...how could you not?" He shook his head, whispering, "but you won't admit it, even to yourself, that there is a part of you that wants me gone...forever...a part of you that wants to not only kill me, but _destroy_ me completely."

"I'm not like you, Thawne." Then, Barry said the strangest thing, voice calm and collected, "you may have known me in the other timeline, stalked me for a long time in this one, worked with me for a year, but you have no idea _who_ I am… You've only seen me through the lens of your hatred... I'm not going to kill you, and you aren't going to kill me. Ever. If it hasn't happened yet, then it's not going to. Now take your hand off me."

Eobard stared, not quite surprised by the other's response, but experiencing something very similar.

Barry turned a perfect glare on him. He knocked his hand away, and Eobard saw his jaw clench. "You're unbelievably disagreeable," he said and stood.

"If nothing else, Allen, I feel the same about you."

"I don't know about you, but I'm going back to S.T.A.R. Labs." Flash picked up Killer Frost and sped to the elevator.

Eobard noted, with some amusement, that he didn't wait for him. Flash hit the button inside the lift. The Reverse Flash darted in, and the doors slid close.

"You're wrong, Barry," Eobard said as they ascended. "I know _exactly_ who you are. It's _you_ who doesn't."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. They're so cranky with each other. X) Sorry about the ice-kiss, hehe, just couldn't resist... Anyway, I had a lot of fun writing this chapter.
> 
> Now, to the real reason I'm making a note. I'm going to label this as having forty chapters. That's what I have right now, and I'm sure I won't add anything else, but there's no guarantee on that.


	10. Doubt

"You're unbelievably crazy," Cisco said, shaking his head and scowling. "Going after Killer Frost like that? You could have been killed! What happened to, ' _yeah, okay, I'll wait for you, Cisco, before we go and get Killer Frost_ , hm?"

"It..." Barry scratched at his hair. "...sort of...happened." He shifted in his chair. 

"It was my idea," Eobard broke in.

Both pairs of eyes landed on him, full of obvious irritation. 

He continued, "I found the coordinates, and I went after her. The hero, Bartholomew, decided to-"

"Don't call me that," Barry snapped. He turned his gaze to Cisco. "I tried to stop him...but when that didn't go as planned... Well, I thought I could limit any collateral damage he caused."

Cisco continued to glare at Eobard the entire time. "I see. Why am I not surprised to learn this is Thawne's doing?"

"Look," Flash said, getting to his feet. "I'm sorry, but...we did get her home...and we can maybe help her now. She's still out cold downstairs." He walked over to his friend.

Cisco refocused on him. "Some friends in Star City can help her. The technology we need is in its testing stages there. In fact, they've started testing it on criminals who have abused their powers...with promising results. I'll just keep the power-dampeners on her until then."

"Then we should move her immediately, preferably before she comes to."

Vibe sighed. "After everything... I guess I should just be grateful she's back...still trying to get my head around that, too... I feel like this is a dream." He looked at his hand. "But I have the right amount of fingers, so it has to be real." He clenched them into a fist. "...and I still can't believe Evil wanted to help at all."

Eobard furrowed his brow, feeling the urge to explain himself. "I know you dislike me, hate me, even, but I'm not completely evil. I'm just the opposite of the Flash."

"Yeah, that's been well-established."

"I..." Eobard started, leaning forward. He looked straight into Cisco's eyes, wanting to convey his honesty. "I know you don't believe me...but I do care about you and Caitlin. You both are outstanding people."

Vibe scowled. "You don't have any right to say that." He turned away, took a few steps, and stopped. "I guess..." He glanced back, looking like he had tasted something sour. "I guess I should say thank you, though...even if it feels like glass in my mouth, so...thank you."

"It was my pleasure."

Cisco stared at him. It was as if he wanted to speak, to say something. Eobard raised his brows, trying to encourage him.

The metahuman snorted in response. "Whatever." He spun on his heel and marched out of the room. Barry followed.

Eobard found his thoughts drifting, unfocused and uncertain. He turned on a console to distract himself, exploring the internet, but the strange feeling lingered in his gut for awhile.

Something occurred to him.

He stood and raced out of the building.

* * *

When Eobard arrived back at the cortex, Barry had returned and was sitting at one of the consoles. He looked up to the other speedster's entrance.

Eobard flung the dark bag he held down onto his new-favorite chair.

"What's...that?" Barry asked, tensing. “If it’s a bomb, I’m going to-”

"My necessities," Eobard stated, not bothering to look up as he double-checked his items.

“It’s…?” Realization must have dawned on the other speedster, because he said, " _really?_ You're moving _in_? Why do you need to stay here? Don't you have your own...place?"

Eobard hesitated, glancing over to meet the gaze fixed on him. He narrowed his eyes at the line of questioning. "Of course I do, Allen...but I had this little thought. Time Demon is faster than the both of us. And it could appear at any time in the next month... And guess what? I don't trust it. I imagine it'll attack sooner than expected, to catch us off guard. So, when it does, I need to be here, to assist. If I have to run over here, I won't make it in time... Unfortunately, we need to stick together."

"I..." Barry opened his mouth to argue, but nothing came out, save for - "Unbelievable."

"Yeah, you're stuck with me, Allen. Get used to it."

"Not likely."

Eobard chortled. He seized something from his bag, tapping it. “Gideon, welcome to your new, temporary home,” he said. He placed the device to the terminal in front of him.

“Thank you, Professor Thawne.”

“I’ll just go ahead and upload-”

“Wait! What?” Flash exclaimed. “You can’t just do that, this is _my_ lab! Just because you-”

“It used to be mine, and, yes, I _can_ do it,” Eobard pointed out, pressing a button. "As far as I can tell, you have zero security on these terminals. I could literally unleash a hosts of viruses to wipe out what's left of this place, if I wanted...leaving you technologically helpless..." He paused, grinning. "You know, that's not such a bad idea. Maybe I'll do that after the Time Demon is dealt with." He held his hand up to the console.

"Wow," Barry groaned. “Maybe you forgot that I designed most of this newer stuff, and I'm a speedster. I'm sure I would have your viruses gone in a matter of minutes."

"Doubtful. You underestimate me. Besides, who said the viruses would be the only thing you'll have to contend with?"

Allen gave a loud sigh. "...I don’t even have any need for an A.I.... Just because you can't get along without one, doesn't mean I'm as helpless.”

“Aw, come on. Don’t be mean, Flash. You designed her, after all.”

“For a _friend!_ ”

Eobard swiped a projected screen with his fingers. “And, Voila! Gideon is now in charge of S.T.A.R. Labs' systems. As it should be...”

Flash leaned forward and face-palmed. “Maybe you were right about me wanting to kill you, after all. I think I want to, now."

Thawne grinned. “Told you so.”

“Is there a problem, Mr. Allen?” Gideon asked, her voice speaking over the PA system. When she got no response, she said, “I am detecting several inefficiencies in your operating systems. Shall I clean them? I estimate a thirty percent increase in work output if I do.”

“Look at that, you _do_ need her," Eobard said, smug. "Fix it up, Gideon."

“I’m sorry, Professor Thawne, but I must have express permission from Mr. Allen before accessing the Scientific and Technological Advanced Research Laboratories' operating systems.”

“Hah,” Barry said. “What were you saying about no security, again? Now _I_ get joint custody of her..." It was his turn to be smug.

Eobard looked down, admitting to himself that little, unfortunate truth.

The Flash said with some reluctance, "fine, Gideon... Update the computers… There better not be any of Thawne’s tampering, though, or both of you will get your circuits fried.”

* * *

Barry held the device under the light, pressing his tools at it. Eobard thought the small mechanism was from the Flash suit, though he wasn't sure what it was. The Flash's brow scrunched, and with the way he toiled at it, the Reverse was doubtful he was making any progress, at all. Through the slowed-down world, he saw how the other speedster worked with careless jerks of his hands, moving far too fast and without any evidence of caution. As if to prove this point, a tiny arc of electricity emitted from the object, causing Allen to yank his fingers back and curse.

Realizing himself, Eobard yanked his thoughts back to normal speed, turning from Barry. "Gideon?" He asked.

"Yes, Professor Thawne?"

"Has my Reverse Flash suit finished repairing?"

"Yes, Professor. It is back to one hundred percent operational capacity."

"Excellent."

Barry's voice carried across the room. "Damn it!"

Eobard glanced over, surprise filling him. The device the Hero of Central City held clattered into a mess of broken pieces. The Flash stopped, dropping his head into his hands, elbows on the desk of the workstation. After a minute, he stood and paced from the station, fists clenched. A swirl of chaotic emotions had his cells vibrating like crazy, and Thawne knew it'd been like this since they'd gotten back, though it was worse now.

Eobard suggested, "why don't you have Gideon look at that? She's a great mechanic."

"I can take care of it," Barry snapped, pacing to his seat. He flung himself onto it, as if to contradict himself. "I don't need an A.I. to do simple repairs." He frowned at his desktop.

“In your current state, you certainly do... What’s wrong with you?”

“What?” Barry asked, looking at him. “N-nothing. What are you talking about?”

“Uh-huh,” Eobard replied, raising an eyebrow. “You really think I haven't noticed? You’ve been acting...upset since we brought Caitlin back. I thought you would be glad that she has a chance, now.”

“I _am_ glad that we brought her back,” Barry threw at him with complete hostility. He sighed. “Nothing else matters…"

"So, what is the problem?"

Barry adjusted his sleeves, glaring back at his console screen. "What do you care?”

“Oh, I don't _care_ ,” Eobard replied. “It's just annoying to be around you when you’re like this. Your wild frequency is starting to give me a headache.”

“Right,” responded his nemesis. “More likely, you’re just looking to find a weakness to exploit. You know you can ignore me, right? You reading my emotions gives me the creeps, anyway.”

“So you did notice," Eobard said. "You're...harder to ignore than you realize. Trust me."

Barry glanced at him, expression antagonized.

Thawne shifted. "So...does that look mean you aren’t going to tell me what your problem is?"

Flash continued to stare at him, eyes flinty. His jaw worked, but he said nothing.

"Fine," the Reverse said, turning away. "Don't say a word, then." He reached towards his bag, intent on his personal 3D printer.

Barry spoke, an evident need to express the truth breaking through his stubbornness, "...I’m just worried it won’t work...or that even if it does, the entire experience will leave her too scarred... It's been a hundred years.”

Eobard returned his gaze to the other speedster, crossing his fingers in front of him. “She’s a strong woman. I am certain she’ll recover. Besides, she'll have her friends to help her.”

“Yeah...but what really leaves me in a mood..." He rubbed his temples in a show of stress. "Is the fact that she wasn’t wrong, you know. What Killer Frost said.”

“About which part?”

“Most of it," Barry replied. “I guess it’s just... I knew she was going to say it. I prepared myself for it. I told myself that Killer Frost will say any nasty thing to get at me, that it meant nothing. I knew it wasn't Caitlin...not really...and yet…”

Eobard felt an abrupt drop in his vibrations.

Sorrow.

He guessed, “and yet it still hurt?”

“I can't believe I'm telling _you_ this...but...yeah. It did. A lot more than I thought it would, anyway... It’s hard not to wonder how much of Caitlin is still in Killer Frost. How much of that is how she truly viewed me? And how much of it is her alter ego? If it was her real thoughts... I must have been nothing but an awful friend... I did this to her, after all...”

Eobard did not know why it was difficult to hear those words spoken in that tone of voice. He was also uncertain why he was about to say what was on his mind. “I'm going to hit you with my honest opinion."

“You better shoot to kill, then.”

“If even the smallest fraction of what Killer Frost had said earlier were Caitlin’s true thoughts on you, she would never have stayed by your side for as long as she did. It took years and years for Killer Frost to win over. She fought it, to stay with the people she loved. That’s the kind of woman she is. Regardless of what you did, she always  _cared_ about _you_...”

Barry's eyes widened. "Eobard?"

“Well, I’m just being honest." The Reverse grinned. “I suppose I shouldn’t have been. Silly me. I’m regretting it already.”

“I thought you loved to take every opportunity to hurt me.”

“Well, just like everyone else, sometimes I miss opportunities.” He shrugged. “Make mistakes.” He looked away from the scrutinizing gaze. _Well, this is getting awkward... What the hell am I saying?_

Bringing Eobard's attention back to him, Barry said, “I just, there's more to it, too..." He scowled, frequency shifting once more. "Regardless of whether or not that’s how she truly feels...the things she said. Some of it...rang true. Maybe the reason I save people isn’t because of them, needing help...maybe it’s because of me. I can't stop doing it. I've tried before...but I can't. It makes me feel...good...better than good, every time. It’s an addiction...one that is just as dangerous as any drug.”

“I think..." Eobard hesitated before continuing, "...I...know...what you mean... I am...likewise addicted to being Reverse Flash... I like to be the most evil villain...opposing a great force of good..." At that point, he realized he was saying far too much that was personal. He halted that line of thought, knowing he needed to get his thoughts back together. "...but really, I’m just fighting _you,_ a corrupted symbol, a con, a manipulative narcissist disguised as the champion of justice. Doesn’t make me seem as wicked, huh, if I’m not fighting the honorable white knight? Like I said to Killer Frost - you’re no hero.”

“There’s the Eobard Thawne I know,” responded the Flash, smiling, seeming amused just then for no apparent reason.

“That didn’t sound like disagreement, though.”

“You know what, Thawne?” Barry said. “I agree with you _somewhat._  I’m not a hero. I’m just trying to do some good with what I have, and I always believe that it gets better, that it’ll all work out in the end. What are _you_ trying to do in your life, anyway? What exactly does being Reverse Flash give you?”

“All I’ve ever tried to do,” Eobard responded, “and all I've ever wanted to do...is bring you down from your satellite, and send you straight to hell. You float in your own orbit, thinking yourself so high and mighty. Untouchable. I want to be the shocking force that slaps you into reality, just before you die. That's what Reverse Flash gives me.”

“Here we go,” Barry sighed. "And I thought you were having a moment, too."

"I told you I'm not completely evil. You, on the other hand, your eyes are so full of stardust from being on your high horse, that you can’t see that you're a walking contradiction. You _act_ like you're a hero, like you deserve to be heralded as one,  _even though you just admitted_ _you aren't_.”

“You really do see me through a lens, don't you?" Allen asked. "Because your vision is very skewed."

"I'm not the one whose vision is skewed. _I'm_ not blind to who I really am. Let me spell it out for you, _hero,_ " Eobard said, voice turning nasty in disapproval. "To start with, you attend Flash Day where everyone _adores_ you like the bloated egotist you are, and you grin like a fool in love because you _are._ You're in love with the praise they shower upon you that you clearly _don't_ deserve-"

“I go to Flash Day first and foremost because it let’s people who want to see me...well, see me. It gives them hope. It makes them feel safer. Yeah, I do enjoy it, but if that were the only obligation I had to go, I wouldn't."

"You know I'm right, though, don't you? Everything about you screams self-love. Your attitude, your actions, your very persona as _the Flash_..." He spread his fingers outward for emphasis. "And you _admitted_ it - you save people for the thrill of it…not for them... You're _selfish_. Almost as much as I am. Not exactly the definition of a hero.”

"I am selfish, but unlike you, I don’t let it harm others these days... And despite my doubts, I know that no matter how good it may feel to help people, I do it because it’s the right thing to do… Not just because it makes me happy...but because they needed someone to help them... To me, a narcissist hurts others with his or her selfishness. What does that make you?”

“The villain... Which reminds me...you have hurt quite a few people, Barry.”

“Says you."

"But even you shouldn't have to take my word for this one."

"I've..." Allen sighed, "...made many mistakes over the years, sure...but I've never _wanted_ to hurt _anyone_."

"But you had such a knack for it... You know what, though? I didn't want to hurt anyone, either. Not at first, anyway... But it had to happen, sooner or later... It was inevitable...and I grew to love it.... Besides...I knew the you from the other timeline."

“Well,” Barry said, “he shouldn’t count. I don’t even know anything about him. You’re the only person who does.”

“He had your D.N.A. though, and thus, your mind, your heart, your lust for heroism, glory, worship.... He was everything that you were meant to be - _are_ meant to be. Everything you _are_...”

“So, what did he do that made you conclude I’m a self-centered narcissist? Because really, every time you look at me, you must see him. I’m not the person you described.”

Eobard barked a laugh. “Aren’t you? Aren't you Barry Allen?”

"Tell me about this other Flash.”

Eobard shook his head. “Everything you need to know about him, you already do..."

"I don't think so."

"If not, you will, one day... Well, this conversation is wonderfully pointless. You remain imperceptive, as always. I'm done arguing about it, you narrow-sighted dunderhead.” He stood and left the room.


	11. Family Party

Eobard had never been so uncertain of himself.

Before the Time Demon, he’d juggled a weird double-life of being Eobard Thawne, the son to a wealthy family, and being the Reverse Flash, the enemy to the hero of Central City. When he wasn't surviving as Eobard Thawne, the human, he was planning how to destroy the Flash as Reverse Flash, the metahuman. And the latter had consumed the larger part of his life until he couldn’t recognize himself as Eobard the human anymore. But at least he'd known exactly how to handle that life; he'd had complete control of it.

Here and now, though, he was unable to fulfill his goals, unable to destroy his enemy, unable to be who he was meant to be - the killer, the monster, Reverse Flash.

Worse still, attempts to console himself by imagining the Flash’s future demise faltered more often than not. When he started thinking of killing the Flash, his mind would wander without permission. He would find himself musing on all the civil and uncivil interactions he'd had with him, calculating them, scrutinizing them, analyzing every detail - every moment they made eye-contact, every moment they'd spoken, every moment they'd sparred - and it was odd. He started noticing more about Barry Allen, started to read more into their conversations than he should have, started to feel more of their connection than the hatred that had been so important to both of them. He felt _more,_ like when they were in Antarctica together, and he knew it was _wrong_.

_I need to get this out of my head as soon as possible. This is getting out of hand... It's fine though. I just have to handle this until the Time Demon is dealt with. I can do that. Simple, really. It's just a matter of time._

Eobard started, feeling a buzz from his pocket. Exhaling, he retrieved the holoblock. A message floated there above it like a judgemental reminder from hell.

_Mother's party. You're late._   _  
_ _-Eisla_

"Right," he muttered. "Sunday. That's today."

He stood, stretching. He crossed the cortex, going over to the bag he'd brought in. He remembered Allen's reaction to it and chuckled. He dug out his 3D printer, printed the best suit in its reserves, and speed-changed into it. Rushing through the laboratory, he ensured his tidiness in a mirror in the living area.

_Done._

He messaged back. _On my way,_

He was crossing to the elevator when it pinged and Barry Allen walked out. He paused beside his reverse. "Where are you going, dressed like that?" He queried.

Eobard couldn't help the way he noticed the other speedster's gaze lingering on him...in an almost-uncomfortable way. That was _not_ appreciated. “That’s hardly your business, now is it, Allen?” he responded, glaring at him.

“Time Demon says otherwise.”

Eobard sighed. "Fine. It’s a dinner."

Allen folded his arms. "Dinner? With who?"

"A party," amended Eobard. "With...my family."

"Family party," Barry said, shaking his head. "That's...unexpected... But I guess you _are_ a Thawne, so maybe not _that_ unexpected."

"I have to go," Eobard said, starting for the door.

"Wait," Barry said, stepping in front of him. "I should come with you."

Thawne balked, eyes widening. "What? No. That's a terrible, horrible idea, even for you."

"Why?" He asked. "If it were the other way around, _you_ would insist."

"Well, it's not...because you don't _have_ a family, Mr. Allen," he said, trying to wound.

Bartholomew didn't even blink. "You'll have to try harder than that to get me off your case, Eobard... Anyway, I think you were right. Until the Time Demon is taken care of, we shouldn't go too far alone. I mean, there is only _one_ Punch that Cisco made."

Why did that feel like an excuse? Eobard leaned his head back, rubbing his temples. _Patience,_ he told himself.

Barry's face transformed into a grin, an evil one that was very unheroic, Thawne thought. Yes, he knew why it seemed an excuse. This had nothing to do with the Time Demon; Allen was looking to torture him. "And guess what, Thawne, I'm not giving you a choice, just like you didn't give me a choice when we went after Killer Frost."

Eobard rolled his eyes, trying to convey all of his irritation in that single gesture. "I _really_ wish I could kill you… Or, you know, I _could_ just tell my family that you aren't supposed to be there and they can have the guards throw you out."

"You wouldn't do that." The Flash sped away, reappearing in the blink of an eye, now dressed in a nice, dark-red suit. "Nobody likes a stick in the mud, after all."

Eobard hoped a criminal would rob a store, so he could escape the Flash. But there was no alarm, no pings from the holoblock, nothing to save him from _this_.

And even as the thought ended, his eyes were roaming over the other in his new, appealing outfit. He caught himself, gaze snapping to the other's eyes, which he swore were amused. "Fine. Fine," he said, "you win...this time. But if you somehow alert my family that you're the Flash or I'm the Reverse Flash..." he shook his head. "Time Demon or not, I _will_ shatter your skull."

"Now why would I do that?" Barry asked, voice innocent. He moved toward the elevator. "A good party, a fine dinner - sounds great right about now, actually."

"You don't even like-" Eobard halted his words, fuming. He stepped into the elevator with him, resisting the urge to reach over and throttle him. "This is going to be awful, Allen."

After a few seconds, he realized he'd slipped up on how torturous this entire situation already was to him, and by the way Barry's eyes danced, the other speedster knew it.

"Shut up, Bartholomew Allen."

Flash laughed.

* * *

"You look ridiculous holding flowers," Barry commented. "Nice house, by the way."

"It's not _my_ house, Bartholomew," Eobard returned, shifting his grip on the mentioned bouquet. "It's my parents' house."

"Well, then, _they_ have a nice house. Stop calling me that, would you?"

"I will, if you shut your mouth..." he trailed off, adjusting his tone. "Just be as quiet as possible." He hoped his family wouldn't notice his...guest, though he doubted he would be so lucky.

Eobard took a step forward, wishing he could turn around and leave. He knew, however, that it was far too late for that. The two walked up the steps toward the grand family home, where the sound of sophisticated music drifted into the atmosphere. They passed through the door.

"Whoa," Flash said, "I'm definitely not used to this. You Thawnes certainly have no humility, do you?"

The house was enormous, fancy in every sense of the word. Eobard wasted no time and went straight through the foyer. He stepped into the Ballroom, a cavernous space that was old-fashioned, yet elegant, the ceiling adorned with crystal chandeliers. The floor was polished to perfection, marble, shining in the bright light. The walls were just as smooth, containing a single, decorative fireplace on the side, and a glass display with ancient objects on the other. Two flat areas for holoscreens adorned the corners of the far side. The guests were everywhere, dressed smart and fashionable, so many of them. Eobard knew he wouldn’t recognize at least ninety percent of them. The Thawne in him fought against the urge to shrink away from it all, even as the Reverse Flash in him wanted to. 

"Eo!" Called an ecstatic voice over the din.

Eobard grimaced at the nickname, hearing Barry chuckle. He turned, seeing his sister hurrying over.

"You're late, but I'm glad you finally decided to show up!" she exclaimed. "If you didn't, I would have smacked you into next week!"

"Yeah, glad to see you too, Eis."

"This is a surprise,” she said, eyes flicking to Barry. “Who is your friend?"

"This is Bartholomew Allen," Eobard said. "Bartholomew, this is," he sighed, "...my sister, Eisla."

"Hi," Barry said, shaking her hand. "Pleased to meet you. But call me Barry, please." He shot Eobard a look.

Eobard cracked a half-grin.

"Okay," she said, "so, Barry, what's your story? What do you do?"

Eobard slipped away from them, dodging through the people, hoping he could lose both Barry and his sister to the crowd. Maybe Eisla would annoy Allen enough that he would leave, though Eobard doubted that. He heard them talking, glad their conversation faded instead of followed. He picked out his parents near the punch table, a welcome smile breaking across his face.

"Mother, Father," he greeted, reaching them.

"Eobard Emberson Thawne," his mother said and hugged him, her hair silvery, smelling like roses. "I hardly believe my eyes." In spite of her age, her voice was still strong when she spoke. "It's good you showed. I was beginning to wonder if you had forgotten just where we lived." She stared into his eyes, her own keen like a hawk's.

"How could I forget?" Eobard asked. "And even if I did, it's not like it'd be hard to find…"

She chuckled.

"These are for you, by the way," he said, handing the flowers over.

"You are a true gentleman, Eobard. Just like your father."

Eobard kept his face neutral. He knew her assessment was far from the truth, and it struck him how little his parents actually knew of his life.

"Not _just_ like me..." his father said, lips twisting into a half-grin. A distinguished-looking man, he appeared young for his age, his sandy-blonde hair just peppered in gray, silver streaks in his short beard. A small yet noticeable scar adorned his cheek. Eobard recalled the story he liked to tell everyone about it, of the time he'd gotten into an incident as a younger man, wrecking his glider. "Don't trust this one, though, Dear," he continued to Eobard's mother. "He wants you to think he's a gentleman, but he's not... He’s just on his best behavior with us, you know.”

His mother responded, “Oh, don't worry, I know."

_Okay, so maybe not that far off... Even if it's just a joke,_ Eobard thought. He replied, “It’s good for you that my best behavior is also my natural disposition...in such situations. I'm still a Thawne, you know.”

His father said, "oh, I know, and that's what worries me." His eyes danced.

There was a laugh from Eobard's mother.

They chatted for awhile about nothing important. Afterward, Eobard wandered away from them, growing bored with each passing second. He wondered why he bothered to show. He had little interest in socializing or keeping up with all the wealthy people of Central City. Sure, he knew he should. He was, after all, the firstborn child in the family, and so he should have involved himself more in their affairs...but this life just wasn't his other life, which he knew he could never let go of.

He knew that when it came down to it, he wouldn't be able to uphold the Thawne legacy. He was certain that task would fall to his sister, who was more for this kind of life than he.

He sipped at a beverage, sighing through his nose. It would be easy to slip away now, and speed off to nowhere. On the other hand, he didn't really want to get the earful _that_ would entail, so he leaned against the table of drinks. Besides, Time Demon could still show, even if the possibility was low, and it didn't hurt to keep on guard, because Barry was still here.

_Well, I hope he's getting tormented by Eisla... It would serve him right for insisting on coming._

"Eobard Thawne," said a voice in greeting.

Eobard turned to the owner of the voice, recognition filling him. "Larris Breckett," he replied, shaking the man's hand. "How are you?"

"Never better," Larris said, a grin spreading across his face. "Been awhile. Still on the run?"

Eobard returned the wry grin. "Something like that. How have you been?"

"As well as I can be," Larris replied. "Well, just wanted to say hello, and now there are others I must say hello to... Enjoy the party, friend. Glad you actually showed..." He turned and strolled away through the crowded room.


	12. The Perfect Idea

Barry chatted with Eisla for awhile.

Then, the conversation turned...odd.

"So, Barry, how did you meet my brother?" Eisla questioned. "It's very unlike him to bring _any_ guests over to these parties."

"Um," Barry responded. "Well...it was kind of strange, actually. We sort of...bumped into each other, just out and about. Yeah, and...well, we started talking and...we are-"

"Dating?" She guessed, grinning.

"W-what? _What_?" He stared, dumbfounded. Despite such an idea being crazy, maybe he shouldn't have been taken so off-guard by it. It wasn't like he could expect anyone blood-related to Eobard Thawne to be a logical person.

"It's okay," she said, mistaking his response. "I mean, I figured that _must_ be it. I'm pretty sure he hasn't been with a girl since his high school days...and it's been _years_ since Eobard has had a _guest_ to one of these parties. He doesn't really invite friends to this."

"He has friends?" Barry couldn't help himself.

She laughed in response, as if he'd said a funny joke. "You're great, Barry. I see why he likes you. Yeah, if he's prickly, don't mind it. He's...Eobard, you know."

"I'm not sure he feels anything besides annoyance..." Barry couldn't help but realize how strange this conversation was. Indeed, gossiping like a teenager about his worst enemy was... _bizarre_. And there just wasn't any better word to describe it.

She waved her hand. "Pft, my brother may be bad at expressing himself, but he's got a lot of feelings, buried deep down. You just have to get to them."

"Okay, fine," he relented, "...but we're not...date-ing." Just saying it was difficult and weird, and was likely the cause of his weird pronunciation of the word.

"Hey," Eisla said with perfect understanding, "don't worry. I totally get it. He probably told you not to say anything. He thinks I would tell Mom and Dad or someone else and then they would find out and that they wouldn't understand, since they're a bit old-fashioned, but they _would_. They aren't _that_ old-fashioned. He just isn't brave enough to tell them. I won't tell anybody, though. He can grow a backbone and do it himself. It's been _ten_ years, almost."

"Look," Barry said, shaking his head. "We," he snorted, " _aren't_ dating, and I don't think he's _into anybody_."

Her grin widened, if possible. Barry was beginning to wonder if every Thawne could pull that look off. "You're really bad at lying, Bartholomew Allen."

"I'm not..." he sighed, "I'm not lying. I must be bad at telling the truth, though..."

"Yeah, sure," she said,, looking like it was Christmas day. "If you aren't lying, then why _are_ you here? Eo doesn't bring anyone to this house. I think it embarrases him, sometimes, being from such a distinguished origin… He has this bad habit of overthinking everything."

Barry tried to think of a good excuse, but nothing came to him.

"Hey," Eisla continued, "but you know how he's all serious? Well, I've got this _perfect_ idea how to torture him." She giggled maniacally.

Barry was teetering somewhere between annoyed and uncomfortable, yet the idea of causing his enemy discomfort was somewhat...enticing. It always seemed like Eobard was out to do the same. Perhaps it was time for some payback.

"What are you thinking?" he asked Eisla, though he was wary, too, of any idea she might have.

She looked triumphant at Barry's sudden interest. "When the dance comes on later, you go and dance with him. That'll drive him _absolutely_ insane. And it'll embarrass him. Then, the truth will be out, and he'll see that Mom and Dad don't care that he's not interested in a girlfriend. He won’t like it...but it’s for his own good. Trust me. I’m his sister."

Barry stared, unable to process that.

A man walked over. "Eisla," he greeted, pecking her cheek.

"Jeromy," she replied, face already morphed into a more pleasant and social look.

He grabbed her hand. "I know it's a bit early, dear, but would you care to dance?"

"Of course." She looked to Barry. "Talk to you later, Barry Allen."

She vanished into the party with her dance-partner.

Barry stood alone, trying to sort through the lingering discomfort he felt. The more he thought about their conversation, the less any of it made sense...

Until it did.

And he had to laugh to himself about it, because really...it _was_ absurd, yet kind of funny.

* * *

Eobard drained his glass. He lowered it, eyes picking out Barry making his way through the people toward him. "Please tell me there's a metahuman attack," Eobard muttered when Barry was close enough that no one else would hear. "Is it too much to ask to be left in peace once in awhile?" He hoped his voice wasn't as pleading as he feared.

"Now you know how _I_ feel...but no, no metahumans. There is something you should know, though."

Eobard saw Barry's eyes narrow, a hint of concern there. "What?" He asked, dreading the answer.

"Your sister was convinced you were hiding something from her."

"What? And she asked _you_?"

"Yeah."

"Why? What did you say to her?"

"Well, she thinks..." he hesitated, seeming uncertain how to say it.

"What is it?" Eobard interrogated, feeling his heart beat faster. "She thinks I'm a metahuman? The Reverse Flash?"

"She-what? _No_. You _are_ paranoid." Barry shook his head. After more hesitation, he blurted, "she thinks you're...into guys and that... _we_...that that’s why you brought me to this party..."

Eobard stared at Barry, confused by those unexpected words. "Oh," was all he could manage. "She does?"

Barry quirked a brow.

The action struck the Reverse Flash with the full weight of all his words' implications.

"Wait a second," Eobard said, raising a hand to point at him. "You said... She thinks you're... Doesn't she? She thinks that?"

"Yeeeeaaaah," came the drawn-out reply.

Eobard started hard. Trying to push the parade of thoughts marching through his head away, he managed a huff of indignation. "Ah, well..." here, he clenched his teeth, "my sister is...unbelievably silly at times. She...is...the spoiled, surprise child, after all... And she must have hit the champagne already. That must be it." There was no way his sister could really believe that she was right, was there? No, he suspected she was just trying to get under his skin.

"Well," Barry responded, "she does seem to think you're hiding something. She's convinced it's that..."

His next words may as well have been an earthquake that split the Thawne family mansion in two.

"Maybe you should play along."

"What?" Eobard swore he lost a few brain cells. Or maybe he misunderstood what the other had said. "Again, _what_? Why?"

"I mean, they might start wondering if there _is_ something you're not telling them...like I don't know...being a speedster. A murdering, sociopathic speedster, at that. Don't you think that would be a bit worse for them to assume than the fact that we're  _together_?"

How Barry spoke that word with nothing but casual calm, Eobard was unsure. He raised his eyes and looked out over the crowd, hoping to regain his own appearance of being unfazed. His voice smoothed out. "Sure, whatever, Bartholomew. But they aren't going to assume that I'm a speedster. That's like assuming I'm hiding a tail."

"It's not really _that_ odd. You keep to yourself most of the time. You're brilliant with science, so much so that you have a degree in that field...yet you don't have a career at all..." Both of Barry's brows raised this time.

The Reverse folded his arms. Just how much of his life had his sister divulged, anyway? She _was_ trying to irritate him, he knew, for not having a perfect attendance for these parties. "It's not like the economy is shining at the moment," he shot at the Flash.

"I'm just saying it might not be a bad thing to play along - to alleviate that feeling that you're hiding something from them."

Eobard squinted at Barry, trying to understand just what the other speedster was playing at. Why should the Flash get involved in this? The only answer was that his foe was planning something designed with his torture in mind. He moved his eyes back to the guests beyond the other, clenching his jaw. He wished he knew just what Barry's goal was with this. "Okay, Mr. Allen… What exactly does your intellect propose we do to rectify this unexpected development?" he asked, mocking, but felt like he was walking into a trap anyway, blind as a bat.

"Well...maybe we should...dance or something..."

Thawne's attention came to a full stop on Allen, disbelieving.

"I don't know," Allen shrugged. "Just to...throw them off the trail. I don't know," he repeated.

"That is-" _ridiculous,_ Eobard was about say, _ridiculous. Why would I_ ever _do something like dancing with you? Just who do you think you are talking to, Flash? Have you forgotten who I am? What the hell even gave you such an idea? My sister? Your repetitive idiocy? What?_

Yet, he found he couldn't voice any of it. There was a good chance, his family was catching on to him being less than honest. They were a bit...eccentric, but they weren't stupid. There was a real possibility they were beginning to get suspicious that more than a lack of employment had diminished his contact with them.

Maybe they wouldn't exactly come to the conclusion he was the Reverse Flash, or even a speedster at all, but they would start to wonder if his activities were less than legal. How was he surviving without a real career or even a basic job, they would wonder? They might start thinking he had turned himself into a metahuman, using his scientific background. There were many unidentified metahumans, and many stories of scientists worldwide gaining powers from experiments.

As silly as it sounded, making them think he was hiding _this_ from them might throw them off his trail...for now.

Besides, he hadn't thought this situation through, either. If he had, he wouldn't have gotten into this mess. He hadn't given Barry a role to play - such as a potential work colleague or assistant - where he should have. He hadn't thought to give his family a reason why he had brought another man, a complete stranger, to this party without even the slightest warning, something unheard of from him.

He'd pulled 'an Allen' once again, doing something without thinking ahead.

And he could blame Barry for it - for jumping in on his plan without warning, for being the Flash, for distracting his thoughts.

Now, it was a matter of damage-control.

He folded his arms. "I cannot believe that I am saying this...but you...actually do have a point… Fine." Eobard gritted his teeth. "I guess I don't have much choice. Just for the record, I blame you for this." And yet, the faintest thrill ran through him at the look on Bartholomew's face, one he wasn't sure what it was - some mixture of amusement, victory, and uncertainty, perhaps.

_Just what is happening? What did I just agree to, and did I really agree to it?_

_I did._

_Please let this end soon…_

_I could just imagine all the ways I would like to kill him... If I can even manage that much..._

Eobard wanted to grab a random glass from the table and dump its contents on the Flash's smug head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this kind of chapter is why I tagged this story for weirdness. X) Actually, do let me know if this one came across alright. For some reason, I'm a little worried that it was immersion-breaking or maybe just a little bit too rushed at the end.
> 
> Sorry my updates have been slower, and also my comment responses. I've been rather busy/distracted lately. Plus, I've started working on a WIP(after taking a break from it) I have over on Fanfiction(dot)net and replaying the Mass Effect video game series in anticipation for the new game coming out in a week.


	13. The Dance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I haven't posted sooner. Basically, I got caught up in my new game. Anyway, here's the new chapter. And thanks for all the lovely comments everyone. I'm blown away by all the awesomeness! :D

Barry grabbed Eobard’s hand.

Eobard yanked it back and glared at Barry.

“I thought you agreed that this is the best way?” Barry said it like a question.

The words echoed in Eobard's head and there was an inexplicable twisting in his gut, the full realization sinking in. What had he done? A dance? He wasn't sure he could bring himself to do that, for any reason… “I'm having second thoughts," he muttered. "Is this _really_ necessary? I mean, my family’s-”

“Suspicious. Come on, do it for them, _Eo_. For yourself.”

Eobard stepped forward. He glared down at the Flash, wanting to convey all of his hatred. “Don't. Call. Me. _That_.”

Allen shrugged. “Well, if you really aren't worried about it…” He started to turn away.

“Wait, okay?” Eobard said.

Barry locked onto his eyes, face blank. “Well? Music's playing, better decide…fast.”

Eobard tried to figure out if Allen was enjoying his inner turmoil, if he knew the magnitude of it, but he couldn't tell anything from the perfect, neutral expression on his face.

“Let's get this over with,” he hissed through clenched teeth. Steeling himself, he seized the waiting hand.

Warmth was Eobard's impression, and electricity, the Speed Force tickling across his skin. It was the energy he was so used to when they fought. He felt his senses heighten with adrenaline, and his mouth held a phantom, metallic taste - a ghost of a memory conjured up by his own enhanced consciousness. A single touch was all that was required and the perfect recreation of a battle was on his mind…a million instances that he’d hated the Flash with every fiber of his being, had wanted him dead.

But _this_ moment _,_ was different...was new.

They walked, side by side, together. As if they weren't enemies. As if they trusted each other. As if death threats were jokes, and their countless battles were dreams, and their hatred was playful irritation.

Eobard did not feel disturbed down to his core very often, but this was a time when he most certainly did. And he admitted it to himself. There was something so wrong about this entire thing...and yet, alluring too. It was reminiscent to how he'd felt when he'd assumed the Reverse Flash identity, when he’d first decided he would kill again and be the one thing he’d once swore to never be - the Flash’s worst nightmare.

He and Barry stood there, in the middle of that large floor, in that sea of people he didn’t know. He felt adrift. Barry turned towards him, and Eobard locked onto his eyes.

_Damn._

Eobard felt sudden awkwardness that did not suit him. He took a deep breath. His heartrate felt erratic. "Well," he said, "do or die, right?"

"That's a bit dramatic, even for you," Allen noted, his face still a mask all of its own.

The Flash, a man he'd once admired, adored, idolized - the man he'd wanted to be, so long ago, laid a hand on his shoulder.

And every part of Eobard wanted to punch him for it, for all of this.

"I don't know how to dance," Eobard said, "so such a statement seems appropriate for the situation."

"I don't know how to either," Barry said.

“Great.”

_Stay calm, cool, collected,_ he thought. _Stay unbothered, nonchalant. Do not let on to any of it. The less he knows, the better. This may as well be chess. No mistakes, move carefully, watch and anticipate...there is no emotion in chess, only cold calculations and ruthless, certain victory._

Eobard placed a hand to the other's waist, forcing himself to think nothing of it. His right hand locked with Barry's left. Unable to back down from any challenge, he forced himself to meet that gaze. So close, so far, and the color and shape of his eyes, so familiar from the times they'd glared from their masks, practically nose to nose…

But Eobard saw no hatred this time.

He saw faint amusement, a twinkling.

They took a careful step, and Eobard felt his heart skip a single beat.

_What the hell?_

He pressed more speed to the dance, because there was no way in any timeline or universe he was slow-dancing with the Flash. Desperate to reassert some victory for himself, to make a play in the game, he said, voice the epitome of self-control, "you know, Barry, we worked rather well together, when we took down Killer Frost. You followed my command like a perfect minion."

To Eobard's disappointment, the other didn’t take the bait. "I guess we've had a lot of unwitting practice in all those fights against each other."

The world had condensed down into a box once again, and there was no one else in it save for the Flash and his Reverse. Warmth, electricity, and energy was entwined inside, a chaotic mix, the only force that existed, separated by two people stepping together, moving, somehow managing not to fall.

Eobard's fingers stiffened in the other’s hand when he pulled away. His muscles tried to tense against his willpower, tried to halt him, to put an end to this nonsense. "I want to kill you, _Flash_ ," he whispered when they moved around each other, eyes never leaving the other’s for fear of wavering.

"I know," Barry responded, a blank wall, "why should I not?"

Moving, this side, that side, somehow they made a dance that Eobard felt certain would look silly to any potential onlooker.

"To make sure you don't forget it... This little game you're playing?" He breathed a faint chuckle, twisting behind the other, slowing. "Well, I know what you're trying to do, Flash,” he whispered into his ear. “Never underestimate me... You put this together marvelously to try and humiliate me, for your own gain, but it won't work." He moved and Barry moved with him, pivoting to face him.

"Are you sure you aren’t talking to yourself?" he breathed, narrowing his eyes.

"What?" Eobard almost tripped. A brief pause happened.

"I don't know for sure...but it kind of sounded like you were reassuring _yourself_ there for a minute."

Eobard would have retorted, but his breath vanished. His lungs froze, and he was yanked back into their dance, quicker than before. He reanalyzed his own statement for the apparent weakness it had revealed. He clenched his hand on the other’s, hoping it caused pain. “I would love to kill you right now.” They spun, their eyes locked onto each other's as much as their hands were, with the fierce hostility of two mortal foes.

Their dancing was not unlike their fighting, Eobard couldn't help but notice, just with less violence and injury. They each were trying for the upper hand, sparring and bickering and hating. Not to mention that Eobard would have loved to shred his heart apart with a vibrating hand.

"What, Thawne?" Barry asked, tilting his head. "Something to be angry about?"

"Just you. I will always be angry at _you_."

"You didn't deny what I said."

"To think, the shining white knight of Central City," Eobard murmured, shaking his head. "If only they knew how you could manipulate and poison, this darkness in your soul that is not the hero they see. If I am as evil as you think, then you're as good as _they_ think."

"We all see what we want to... Besides, who do you think I got that manipulative part from? Your Harrison Wells taught me a lot about it. And I followed his lead, because he was a hero to me,” Bartholomew responded, his own hand tensing in his tight grasp. Eobard was sorely tempted to crush all twenty-seven bones in the Flash’s hand with a squeeze of his own. If only the scream of pain that it would cause wouldn’t alert every single person in the room to just what was happening.

"You can't blame this part of your character on me," he hissed, stepping to the side, back, then to the other side.

“Can’t I? No matter what you say or think, I'm certain you changed me when you ran back in time. How could you not?”

“No, I _didn’t_. You were this way before... _Before_ I changed the timeline. It's in your D.N.A… At most, I encouraged it, which, by the way, was completely unnecessary."

"I guess we'll just have to disagree."

"Guess so."

For a few minutes, they both focused on the dance, then-

"You never did say why you hated me," Allen observed, twisting back to him.

He _did_ have a good memory, a side-effect of being a speedster, Eobard knew.

"Not truly, anyway," Barry continued, and they swayed. "You said you saw us as enemies in the future, but there must have been more to it."

"There wasn't," Eobard said, pulling away but never letting go. "Well, there _was_ ," he amended, "but what does it matter now?" He smiled a bit, dragging Barry around. He imagined throwing him across the room to slam into the wall. _If only._

"It changed our whole lives, and it doesn't matter _at all_?" Barry shot back in an almost indignant tone, stepping on Eobard's foot. The Reverse was certain that it had been intentional.

Good, he was at least annoying the other to some degree.

"That's the point," Eobard said, pushing the other back. "It _did_ change our lives, but what's the point in dwelling on it? Those lives may as well have never existed."

Silence came between them in which they both put more subconscious effort into their dance, their game, refusing to show a weakness, a crack. Eobard's fingers tingled with discomfort, starting to go numb, and his knuckles were white, hands aching with the amount of force they gripped, palms warm and coated with perspiration.

"You know, Thawne," Flash said as they stepped together, "you may think I'm manipulating you just to humiliate you, but what if I was bored enough and really just wanted to dance?"

Eobard stopped, causing Allen to do the same. He refused to take another step in this ridiculous dance. He grabbed the other speedster's shoulders and forced him to look into his eyes. "What does that mean?" he snapped before he could stop himself, eyes threatening to widen and betray him.

"I don't know," Barry whispered. "What does it mean?"

Eobard searched his gaze with narrowed eyes. He wanted to shake the other until his teeth rattled. "Definitely manipulation,” the Reverse decided with in a quiet tone. “I hate you, Bartholomew Allen."

"I hate you too, Eobard Thawne."

Their glaring expressions were closer than ever before, Eobard realized, noses just touching.

If he leaned forward an inch or two, then...

The music ended.

He jerked back, as if burned. "I think the family will have plenty to talk about, now," he said, fuming. "We're through, Barry. If you ever do something like this again, I will kill you, Time Demon or no." He turned and marched away.

* * *

Eobard's hands trembled, and he splashed icy water across his face. The restroom, he was thankful, was empty. He couldn't even bear the thought of such weakness being shown to complete strangers. It'd been such a long time since he'd felt so vulnerable. The Flash may as well have torn open his chest to reveal his thudding heart, he mused. More water hit his skin.

He shut the sink off, leaning against it, staring into the mirror.

How, he wondered, had Allen known a dance, combined with those words he'd spoken, would unnerve Eobard to such a degree?

It was as if...

Realization hit him. The day when Barry stepped out of the shower. That time in Antarctica, helping him heal from the injury Eobard had inflicted on him.

Barry _had_ noticed the way he'd felt, and instead of ignoring it...

_He used it against me._

The Reverse laughed aloud, because it _was_ kind of funny.

_He’s the supposed hero, and he did_ this _._

He knew Barry had done it to achieve this very result. He'd calculated it all down to the very minute details, somehow devising the perfect way to get under his skin. He had never expected the Flash to manipulate him to such a degree. Perhaps he’d invited Barry to do so by giving him such an obvious opportunity. It wasn't like the Flash had had much of a chance to manipulate him in the past. This carelessness on his own part was...embarrassing, to say the least. With annoyance, he had to acknowledge his foe's intelligence, skill, and willpower to pull off something so flawless and intricate. And he had succeeded at it, in all the ways that mattered for it to be revenge.

Maybe he should have been impressed that the other had this level of a dark streak in him, to manipulate Eobard's emotions in such a way.

_Good thing I recover easily._

_Regardless,_ he thought, straightening from the sink, _it's done now, and_ _I refuse to give this any more thought. It won't help._

He left the restroom.

* * *

The party diminished.

Eobard was almost ready to escape this place, this night, and everything that had happened. But still, there was one thing that needed to be done. He found Barry and his sister talking, her fiance, Jeromy, nowhere in sight. To his surprise, though, Larris Breckett was also there, seeming to be enthralled in the conversation.

As he approached, he heard Eisla speaking, "...the cat's tail went right into his cupcake icing," she guffawed. "Oh, Eobard loved little Tiger, he-" She looked towards her brother. "Oh, there you are. Did you go hide in the cellar for the past hour?"

"I mingled," Eobard lied, folding his arms.

He was not happy with how pleased she looked with herself. “Well, I'm certain you were avoiding us.”

But it was _okay_ , though, he told himself. He had the perfect idea on how to get Barry back - maybe not in full, but it’d have to do for now - and take care of one final problem here. _Two birds, one stone._

Larris said, eyes narrowing in thoughtfulness, “well, there are worse secrets to keep, friend. And reveal.”

“Yeah,” Eobard agreed.

"Well, well," said another voice.

Eobard, forcing away all the annoyance threatening to overwhelm him, turned towards the sound. "Mother," he said, "Father."

"It's fine, Son," she said, hugging him without warning. "Nothing's changed, and you should have known it wouldn't. We love you."

Eobard decided that a slight hesitation might be warranted here. “It...never seemed that important before now, truthfully… but..I also did not know what you would think.”

“There’s the root of the problem," his father stated. “You don’t trust people, Eobard. Even when they are closest to you.”

Eobard could not reply to that, because he knew there was some truth to it. _If only they knew my true secret... What would they think of me then? It’s not something I want to imagine._

Larris spoke up, “he's definitely closed off. I wouldn't be able to fill out a page on him, and my job is filling out pages on people..."

His father inclined his head. "Eobard, we will love you no matter what. Trust us, next time." He looked at Barry. "I hope you will introduce us, now," he added with a slight smile.

"Right," Eobard said. "Mother, Father, meet Barry Allen. He's head of CCPD's forensics department."

Barry shook their hands. "Pleased to meet you, Mister and Misses Thawne."

“Likewise, but please,” said Eobard’s mother. “Call me Aubriena.”

“And I, Emberson,” his father stated. “Or Ember, for short, if you wish.”

“Well, then you should call me Barry,” replied he with a grin. “You have a strong grip, Ember.”

“As do you.”

"I'm glad you decided to attend, Barry," Aubriena said. "Eobard doesn't often have guests."

"It's a pleasant surprise," Ember added.

Eisla elbowed Eobard in the ribs, and he scowled at her in turn. Her grin really wasn't warranted, he thought. _Just whose side is she on, anyway?_

“So, where do _you_ work?” Barry asked.

Ember replied first, “I oversee relations between the companies we’ve invested in in both Wustread and Central City.”

Aubriena spoke, “I was once on the Senate. Retired, now. Though I imagine you don’t get involved much with politics, Barry? Eobard never did.”

“Ah, no,” Barry said with a sheepish grin, “my passion lies in science.”

“I assumed. You remind me of Eobard.”

“I was like that,” Emberson chuckled. “My wife often tired of my theorems and equations.” He put his arm on her shoulder, exchanging a smile with her.

Eobard decided this was the perfect opportunity to enact his revenge upon Barry Allen. "Indeed, Father," he said. "In fact, Barry is also the sole owner of STAR Labs - the abandoned science station...? Well, we're making plans to make it operational again...and I may just be a large part of that."

"Oh," smiled his mother. "That would be interesting, for you."

"We're proud of you, son," Ember responded, “as always. That fact is never going to change.”

Eobard felt Barry staring at the back of his head. Served him right, he thought.

"I think we should get another family photo," Eisla suggested, smiling even more, "with Barry and Larris and Eobard in it. Where’s the photobot?" She looked at Barry. "You promise you'll make my brother show up to these more often?"

"Uh...yeah...sure."

_Don't count on it,_ Eobard wanted to say to her.

"Another photo it is," his father announced. "I'll find the bot. Don’t worry, I'll find it, it can't have gotten far away." He winked and strolled away.

The Reverse Flash wondered if this was going to be remembered as the worst night of his life. And _that_ was saying something.

* * *

"What was that about?" Barry asked as the two of them walked out of the house. "Us, _rebuilding S.T.A.R. Labs_? Just how are you going to hold that charade together for long?"

"By killing you," Eobard replied. "When Time Demon's gone, I'll kill you and get S.T.A.R. Labs back. It seems fitting, considering I first built the damn thing."

"You seem pretty confident of that. You've been trying for so long to kill me. It never takes."

"It will, one day. Everyone's luck runs out... Besides, you also forced my hand," Eobard returned, "forcing me to 'come out' to my family like that." He snorted. "I needed a reason not just for having little contact, but for my lack of employment. Now, they think I've got something lined up. Better than them assuming I'm a criminal."

"You know what's incredible about it all?" Barry asked. "You're family's not even that bad... I expected...well, not that. They were...nicer than I would have imagined. Especially your parents. It was weird."

"Like I said, Flash," Eobard said. "We all see what we want to."

" _I_ said that," Barry replied, eyes narrowing.

"Good, you’re paying attention… And I lie, sometimes." He flashed a grin as they stepped onto the sidewalk. "You only see me as a heartless killer...and as _you_ said, you will see what you want to see. If you want to see me as the odd duck of the family, too, so be it. I won't lose any sleep over it."

"Are you trying to tell me something?" Barry asked.

"No."

"How do I know you're not lying?"

Eobard looked over. "I don't know. I guess you'll have to figure that part out."


	14. The Contract

The glider started with a hum and rose into the air, all four propellers creating gentle drafts. Barry, adjusting his red jacket, climbed onto the seat. The hovering device tilted at the addition, but soon compensated. He placed sunglasses on his face, leaning forward, gripping the handles.

“Barry,” Eobard said, pacing across the spacious S.T.A.R. Labs garage. He furrowed his brow. “What is this?”

“Are you suddenly blind?" Barry asked. "It's a glider."

“You’re a speedster. Why do you have this?”

“It's for when I want to take things more slowly,” Flash replied. “Or maybe just so I can sit down every now and then. Can't run everywhere... Are you coming with me, then?”

Thawne glared in disdain. “Not on that thing.”

“Well, I’m taking it, so if you’ll excuse me.” He twisted the handle, and it started forward.

“Wait,” Eobard called after him.

Barry slowed the machine, halting at the end of the garage. Sunlight poured in through the open door. Eobard used the Speed Force to race over.

“Changed your mind?” Allen asked, twisting in the seat.

“Yeah." Without putting much thought to the action, the Reverse swung up onto the glider behind the Flash. He folded his arms, putting as much distance between them as he could on the limited seat.

Barry sent the bike racing forward, and it flew out of the S.T.A.R. Labs compound. “What changed your mind?” He asked over the wind.

“I knew we were doing this the slow way, regardless...so, I'll take the opportunity to - as you say - sit down... Also, I was curious.”

“About what?”

“This thing. Now I’ve had my suspicions confirmed. It’s slow as hell.”

Barry cracked a grin over his shoulder, before returning attention to the road. “Slowing down can be good, every now and then. Can’t speed through _everything_.”

They fell into silence. The air flowed across Eobard's face and tugged at his hair. He found himself taking in Central City once more. It was different than how he was accustomed to seeing it. When he was running hundreds of miles per hour, the world was a motionless picture around him, a slug's crawl. Here, though, without tapping into the Speed Force, the buildings blurred in a way that he wasn't used to. Even though he wasn't moving nearly as fast as normal, the blur combined with the motion and wind left him somewhat giddy.

Maybe Barry wasn’t wrong on slowing down. He could have gone the rest of his life never knowing of this difference. _I must have known of it, a_ _long time ago, before I got these powers. But I can barely remember a life without the Speed Force in my cells. Interesting..._ _I would never have known if I wasn’t working with the Flash now…_

He scowled and swatted that thought away. Working as an ally with the Flash would always he humiliating, and he wanted to associate nothing positive with it.

They reached their destination. The glider sank to the ground, its hum dying away. The two speedsters climbed off of it, stepping onto a wet alley with puddles of water here and there.

Eobard looked around, narrowing his disbelieving eyes. “This place?”

The neon lights on the sign competed with the sunlight still illuminating the world. Glowing words presented the name, Night Whisper. The exterior was less than tasteful, the silvery walls rusting from poor upkeep, and a series of spikes framed the door. One of the supports had a dent upon it, as if a glider or other vehicle had crashed into at some point, some of the indicative paint still sticking there. A tall man stood at the entrance of the establishment, a heavy, scarred face glaring a warning to any who approached.

It didn't match anything in Eobard's expectations of the places the Flash might visit in his spare time.

The Reverse said, “I didn’t know you frequented...nightclubs, Mr. Allen. Especially during the day.”

“There’s a lot you don’t know of me,” Barry shot back. "But since I know you'll insist on details..." He sighed. "I have useful... _friends_ here.” He crossed to the entrance, head up, an expression of certainty painted onto his features.

The bouncer glanced at them and seemed to recognize Barry, making no move to stop them. Allen strolled past him without a word. Eobard followed. It was dim inside, electric lights the only illumination - no surprise there -and faint, electronic music thrummed from one of the terminals in a corner near virtual games and a dance floor.

Barry crossed to the bar, taking a seat in an expectant manner.

“What are we doing here?” Eobard asked, sitting next to him, but the other didn’t have time to answer.

“Hello, Barry,” greeted the man at the counter, smiling. “What’s up?” They shook hands.

“Not much,” Barry returned, shrugging amicably. “Thought I’d stop by, see if Whisper was in.”

“She’s in,” he replied. “I’ll let her know you’re here.” He turned and marched away.

“Alright,” Eobard said, “enough mystery. Allen, what is this about?”

“It's about gathering information,” replied the other speedster, leaning his elbows on the counter. “My...er, friends, here - they have their ears close to the ground. Ever since I went solo, I had to start relying on outside help from time to time...so...like I said. Friends.”

“Barry Allen,” said a soft voice.

Eobard blinked, noticing the dark-haired, dark-skinned woman now standing there, seeming to have materialized from thin air. He was a little impressed that he hadn't noticed her until she'd made an effort to be noticed.

“Or should I say...The _Flash_ ,” she continued. She blinked silver eyes.

“Hello to you too, Whisper. How have things been with you lately?”

“Slow, for now,” she responded, crossing her arms, black jacket creasing. “I assume you didn’t come to make small talk, though.”

“Ah, no, unfortunately. There was a robbery the other day, at Ark’s Vault, the suspect seems to have super-strength, amongst other...er, talents. I even somehow missed the crime in progress... I was kind of hoping you might have some information on it.”

“I may,” she responded, shifting.

“Is that a yes or a no?”

“I’m hesitant to give information on a possibly innocent patron of mine.”

“You know, Whisper, that if he’s innocent, he’ll be fine.”

“If this is just noise and smoke, it’ll reflect badly upon me,” she returned. “But I trust you, Barry, to act without haste. I may know your thief. There’s a name floating around...of one going by the codename Darkstar. I believe he has come here a few times, and he mostly keeps to himself. From what I've gleaned on the man, though, I’m certain he is a metahuman, one I haven’t seen before...one who may not know not to mess with the fastest man alive.”

“Barry’s not the fastest man alive,” Eobard blurted.

Barry snorted and looked at him. _Really?_  his expression seemed to say.

Whisper asked, “who _is_ your friend, Barry?”

“He’s not my friend.”

“I’m not his friend.”

She looked back and forth between them. “Odd. I was certain that…” she trailed off, “hmm, I see.”

“But if you must know...I’m Eobard,” he introduced himself. "Eobard Thawne."

“Hello.” She returned her gaze to Barry. “Why would you bring...this man...this _stranger_...here?”

“Because I have no choice at the moment. We’ve both got to stick together because of a long and complicated reason that I don't want to get into at the moment.”

“I see.”  

“What information can you give me on finding this…metahuman...Darkstar?”

“I’m certain he’ll be around tonight, near seven or eight. You should return then. As Flash.”

“Thank you,” Barry said. There was a ping. He looked at his holoblock. “I have to cut this short, Whisper. It's CCPD. There’s been a murder… But before we leave, I have to use the restroom. Just wait for me, Thawne.”

Eobard gave a dismissive shrug as the other walked away.

“So, Eobard Thawne, huh?” Whisper said. “Strange for the upper class to step into this part of Central City...but it explains a lot of this to me.”

“Like Barry said, it’s complicated.”

“I know _you,_ though,” she said. “I am impressed that the Flash would be so comfortable bringing the Reverse Flash to my establishment. And by the way you two treat each other...you aren’t about to kill each other. Fascinating.”

“ _What_?” Eobard was impressed at how bewildered he managed to sound.

“Come on, Thawne. Give me credit. I’m paid to find out things. I know the identity of every mask in this town...save for this new one - Darkstar, but I’ll figure it out soon. So, why aren’t you out murdering some poor fools?” She asked.

“Allen and I...have a common enemy,” Eobard said, “I have to put my crime on hold for the time being.”

“I see…”

“I’m going to warn you now, if anyone finds out my identity, I will-”

“Kill me?” She asked. “Your name is one that I'm not foolish enough to spread around, Thawne."

"You expect me to believe that?"

"Have I, so far? I've known for months, now." She tilted her head in thought. "And in spite of that, as long as you are Flash’s ally, you’re secret is safe, regardless. I owe him that much.”

“And when the Flash and I are no longer allies?” Eobard stared in challenge.

"Like I said, I'm not foolish enough to betray your secret."

Eobard felt a half-smile creep across his face. "You are clever, I'll give you that much. Dangerous, even. I'd watch myself, if I were you."

Neither one broke eye-contact, and Eobard was very certain she was smart enough to understand what he'd said. She would never sleep well again, he thought. No one could know his identity. No one he couldn't trust, anyway.

However, such a matter would need to be attended to at a later time.

Her words broke into his thoughts, “I have to wonder, though...have you ever considered trying something different, or is crime to be your final lot in life?”

“I…” Eobard narrowed his eyes. “That is a curious line of questioning, Ms. Whisper.”

“It is personal curiosity that drove the question. I have been many things in my life. A criminal, once, but no more... Well, would you?"

“I...don’t know... I've never thought about it... I suppose that as long as the Flash exists, crime will be my life.”

“I see. Well, before I go, allow me to give a word of advice.”

“If you wish."

Her tone dropped low enough that he almost couldn't make it out. “Don’t ever let anyone get in the way of what you truly are, no matter who they may be,” she said. “You aren’t controlled by others - not even the Scarlet Speedster.... You’re controlled by _you_.”

And before he registered it, Whisper was strolling away, silent as a ghost.

Footsteps reached Eobard's ears. The Flash stopped by him. “Making friends?” He asked.

Eobard shrugged and stood. “She knew who I was.”

“She’s smart like that.”

“Time to go?”

Barry hesitated and looked around, as though contemplating something. He gestured to the dance floor. “Care to dance, first?” He asked with a knowing smirk.

Eobard glowered. “Go to hell, Allen.”

* * *

Whisper slipped into the backroom, ensuring the lock code came on when the door slid shut behind her. She took a seat at the table, inclining her head to the dark-armored figure in front of her. A faceless mask stared back at her, two shining, deep blue dots where eyes would have otherwise been. There was more glowing blue threaded into the dark plates protecting him.

_Custom armor? Not military standard. Perhaps imported. Could indicate a vast wealth from a lifetime of successful contracts. It looks powerful._

_Who is this man?_

“Darkstar,” she said. “From my reports, you’re an assassin, right?”

“Yes, Night Whisper, the hoarder of secrets," he said, voice distorted through the communicator in his helmet. "I came when you called, only because I was immensely curious. A potential contract? From _you?_ I admit, I am surprised. Most of my...clients are of the helpless variety, if you know what I mean. You don’t seem helpless.”

“You are not far from the truth," she acknowledged. "I do not often need outside help, but here I am..."

"Why contact me, someone even you don't know?"

"I did some research on your exploits in Wustread after you showed up here in Central City. Seems you’ve taken down metahumans before, right?”

“Correct."

"That expertise will come in handy for what I'd like to ask, but also, I'd like to establish a work-relationship of a professional kind with you. A dangerous person like yourself could find me...problematic...or useful, depending on the circumstances. I believe useful is most beneficial to us both."

He chuckled. "So that's how it is. You're scared of me, and rightly so... You want reassurances that I won't off you in your sleep for a payoff."

She stared at him, saying nothing. 

"Alright," he said, "I'll bite. Who is the target?”

“The Reverse Flash."

The assassin leaned forward, armoring creaking. He tilted his head. “I’m intrigued, of course, but out of curiosity, why would you of all people want _him_ taken out? Did he kill someone you cared about, perhaps?”

“No. I miscalculated. Messed up. I am...somewhat new to this business, still learning... Well, what it boils down to, is that he threatened my life. And I saw the look his eyes. It’s a look I’ve seen many times in my life. It was not a threat, but a promise. He intends to carry through with it, and everyone in this city knows he is a remorseless killer, just like you....except he does it not for pay...  Normally, I wouldn’t turn my head for this type of thing; I’m not helpless, but even I know I don’t stand a chance against a man who could kill me before I could blink, and it’s obvious the Flash isn’t going to take him out anytime soon.”

“I sense, Whisper, that you have an idea already in motion.”

“Indeed. He’s currently tailing the Flash. I have cause to believe they’re being forced to work together at the moment. All you have to do, is get the Flash to come to you. Let your metahuman DNA be detected. He’s actually looking for you, Darkstar. You broke into the Ark’s Vault the other day, didn’t you, and stole away without alerting anyone?”

“Yes. But how do you know the Flash is after _me,_ specifically?”

“I told him it was likely you.”

“Why?”

“I owe the man several favors. Besides, he’ll hear about the Darkstar Assassin soon enough, especially if you’re intending to stick around Central City. He’s knee-deep in the crime here. All I ask, is that you draw him out, thus drawing out Reverse Flash, giving you the perfect opportunity to kill him. I would prefer it if you spared the Flash...but I will not require it for payment.”

Darkstar whistled lowly. “That is a remarkable idea... The speedsters... Hmmm… Unfortunately, if I intend to operate in this city longer than I originally planned, the Flash would likely become problematic in the long run… I imagine there would be a large bounty in the underground for his execution from _someone_. A man like that has more enemies than a bird has feathers. All I need to do is find the highest bidder on the contract. If I take out both speedsters, that would not only be a glorious record, but a reward larger than Mount Everest.”

“If that is what you wish. I did not wish him harm, but I value my own life before any other’s, and his death would be _your_ choice, not mine. Does this mean you accept?”

“How much are we talking here?”

“Name your price.”

“Twenty million.”

Whisper laughed. “Ten.”

“Fifteen. Not a cent lower.”

“Fine. I accept. Oh, and I must stress  _discretion_. No matter what, Reverse Flash cannot find out I placed a contract on his life.”

“With all due respect, milady... I am hardly a man to spill my client’s secrets.”

“Good… You should attack tonight. I told the Flash you’d likely be here.”

“I will not fight them here. I prefer to pick my battleground. I will draw the targets to a place of my own choosing.”

“Very well. You know where I’ll be when you’ve finished.”


	15. Tainted History

Eobard squatted, observing the skyline. His gaze trailed to where the body had lain a few feet away on the pavement just that morning before the police had cleared the alley. He calculated, eyes roaming down the street to a building that towered above them. He lowered the sunglasses from his face and squinted to observe it better. "Look," he said to Barry. "Notice anything?"

The Flash followed his gaze, craning his head back. "That window up there looks shattered," he noted. "That building's nearly a block away, though. You think the victim was thrown from that far away?"

"Might be that meta that broke into that junk bank the other day...you know, the one you _didn't_ manage to catch," Eobard said in a scathing and superior tone. "Didn't your investigation indicate a person with super-strength? Might be that Darkstar character."

Barry scratched his head. "Maybe. Why would this person go from robbery to murder? That is, if it _is_ the same person at all."

"A mystery, for _you_ ," Eobard said, realizing himself. He looked away from Barry. He straightened, brushing off his coat with quick jerks of his hand. A chilled, evening breeze twisted down the alley, carrying the scents of a nearby flower garden. "I'm not even sure why I helped at all," he muttered, finding his thoughts becoming unfocused. He fidgeted with his dark gloves.

"Me neither," Barry replied. "Maybe you're looking to apply as C.S.I.?"

It was a joke, and Eobard knew it. But he wasn't about to let the other get away with light-heartedness, not after everything that'd happened. "Yeah, right. Like I'd want to be bossed around by _you_ ," he shot back. "I'd rather die, I think." He cast a glance around, eyes shifting. "You have Vibe's gun, right?"

"Of course."

"Maybe this might not be a bad time to show me how to use it," Eobard suggested.

Barry tilted his head. "Why? Expecting that Time Demon to jump out at any moment now?"

"What if that thing comes, but you get knocked unconscious or killed, and then it's up to me?"

"And what if you use the Punch against _me_?" Flash asked.

" _Barry_ ," Eobard said like he was speaking to a child. "If I wanted to use something as messy and vulgar as a _gun_ against you, I'd go to the future and get one. I don't have to get it from you or Vibe. Rest assured, when I kill you, it'll be with my bare hands..."

Allen stared at him for a few seconds. He sighed. "Fine. I'll show you."

Eobard raised an eyebrow. "Wow. There is a brain in there, after all. Here I was wondering if you had _any_ sense."

"Don't push your luck." Barry scowled. "Why did you bring this up _now_ , anyway?"

Eobard looked to the buildings around them as though he might find the silhouette of someone spying on them from the privacy of the shadowed windows. "I... It just feels...like we're in for something big soon. Some trouble. I hate being unprepared for _any_ sort of trouble. We may get ambushed the next time your lab's sensors detect a meta. Hell, this supposed meta could even be our Speed Force friend, seeing as you're doing an absolutely lousy job tracking him down, C-S-I."

Barry rolled his shoulders. "I can only follow the evidence so far. Besides, I don't think we're going to see the Time Demon again until the nexus, like it said. Besides, he's after _us,_ not random people."

"Well, I don't trust anyone looking to kill me, so forgive me if I don't believe everything it says. Anyway, you asked why I brought it up, and I answered. Will you show me the damn gun already?"

Allen shifted his jacket back, pulling the gun from its hidden holster. "It's not really that complicated." He turned to Eobard more fully, raising the weapon. "This is a safety, on the back here, like a normal gun. You just flick it." He demonstrated. "On the side here is the two dials for tuning it. Frequency and intensity. I've left it on the recommended setting, but if the first strike doesn't work - because when does it ever? - this one goes up, this one goes down."

"So eloquent and formal," Eobard remarked on his speech. He pointed at a series of holes on the barrel of the gun. "What's that?"

Barry shifted his grip. His hand brushed Eobard's.

The Reverse dropped his arm.

"That," Barry said, as if nothing had happened, "is the cooling chamber. Cisco said that without it, the gun would fry after one shot."

Eobard stepped away, wanting to get as far away as possible without arousing suspicion. "That wasn't so hard, now was it?" He asked.

Allen exhaled in what the Reverse guessed was annoyance.

* * *

Eobard walked into the cortex, pausing. He narrowed his eyes, scanning the room. "Hmmm...."

"What?" Barry's voice asked behind him. "Something need cleaning?"

Eobard didn't answer at first. For a moment, he was silent. He turned to the other speedster. "I'm just considering how much work will be required to bring this lab to full operation again. First time in almost two centuries."

Gideon spoke over the PA, causing Barry to jump, “I calculate it will take a minimum of two years to bring this facility back to one hundred percent operating efficiency. By then, competitors in similar areas will have outpaced it by ten years. I suggest investments in future tech, Professor Thawne... Mr. Allen, you have two messages in your inbox.”

“Thanks...Gideon…” Barry looked at Eobard, seeming to still be processing the presence of the A.I.. "You really think you should be focusing on S.T.A.R. Labs right now, Thawne?"

"Time Demon or no, _Allen_ , I have no intention of my family ever learning that I'm a metahuman. S.T.A.R. Labs is the perfect cover."

"Yeah, because they would have you locked up in an insanity center if they knew what you really were," Barry responded, sitting at one of the terminals. He started tapping on it. "That, or prison, which is where you _should_ be." He fixed a glare on Eobard.

"For someone so supposedly selfless, you certainly don't mind being selfish where _your_ problems lay. If it were made public what I am...it would _ruin_ the Thawnes. It would ruin their reputation, their faith in Eisla even, their lives. There would be nowhere they would be able to rebuild, and they would forever be scorned and ruined. A family of innocents."

"Okay," Barry said, "first off, it'd be your fault, not mine, if they were ruined. Reverse Flash is your choice, and _your_ risk, so don't even try to reflect the blame back on me, like you always do... And secondly, even if that were the case...when it comes to you, Thawne..." He narrowed his eyes. "I almost don't care. I would ruin your family's reputation without a second thought just to see you fall... It'd be rather fitting, seeing as you ruined mine."

Eobard's face split into a grin and he laughed. He turned and took a few steps away before pivoting back in the direction of the Flash. "That's a bit more familiar, Barry - that hatred." He leaned against the wall, crossing one leg over the other and folding his arms in a show of mock-comfort.

Allen let out a puff of air, agitation evident in his tense frame. "Why is it _so_ important that you be a criminal, anyway?"

"Because it's so important for you to be a hero, Barry."

"I know that much... What I don't know, is _w_ _hy_?"

Several seconds went by in silence. Eobard glanced away from the Flash. He took a deep breath before his answer escaped him. "Now that we live in a different timeline, Barry...all you know is that I came in and took control of your life when you were young. But the truth is, Flash, you had control of my life first, long before I had control of yours. You just...didn't know it..."

"And the trend of you making no sense continues," Barry returned. "Nice to know some things never change. It's just like you to answer nonsense with more nonsense." Attention leaving Thawne, he began typing at superspeed.

The Reverse Flash sped across the room, slamming his fists onto the table. The few loose items on it rattled from the force. Barry stopped, looking up, eyebrows raised in mild surprise. "What?"

"Would you take a run with me?" Eobard asked, voice rough.

Allen's expression morphed into one of suspicion. "Where to?"

"You don't know. Not yet. But if you're _so_ curious to understand me... If you want to _know_ more about what we were, before I ran back in time, then you'll have to come with me... It'll be easier for me to explain, this way."

"Fine." Barry stood, eyes burning as if in challenge. "If this is the only way. Just so you know, if it weren't for the Time Demon, there's no way I'd follow you _anywhere_."

"Sure, but you and I both know what curiosity did to the cat, and you always _had_ to know, didn't you?" He tapped into the Speed Force, feeling it flow through his body. " _Keep up, Flash,_ " he said and left the laboratory behind in a burst of red electricity.

* * *

"Here?" Barry asked, tone filled with astonishment.

The chilly air was heavy with the scents of decaying leaves, and a gentle breeze flowed over the two speedsters that stood on the sidewalk. In the evening light of the setting sun, the building cast a shadow on them. The unmistakable lightning bolt above the silver doors said it all. The Flash Museum stood before them.

"Why?" The Scarlet Speedster demanded. He sighed when he got no answer. "Let me guess, you're here to tell me what a horrible place this is? No wait...you hate me because I have a museum in my honor. Just for your information, I never asked for it. Honestly, I think the police department just got tired of keeping all those criminals' gadgets they confiscated. And the city wanted to make a little money on the side through donations and taxes..."

Eobard ignored him. He walked to the entrance, listening to his opposite's footsteps following. They entered, the life-sized statue of Central City's beloved hero standing tall and proud just inside. Eobard looked up, taking it in.

 _It's been awhile..._ "Here, Barry, I guess you could say is where it began. For me, at least."

"Are you going to explain what's going on, exactly?" Came the exasperated response.

"Why do you think we're here?" Eobard shot back, glaring. He shouldn't have been so surprised his nemesis was ruining the significance of this moment by being completely Allen-like, ignorant and irritating.

"You tell me."

With his own exasperation threatening to increase, Thawne moved through the exhibits, gaze roaming over the displays, but not focusing on any one of them. "In our original timeline, you saved my life when I was...younger."

"And this is how you repaid me?" Flash replied.

Eobard gave him a pointed look. "Do you want to know, or not? The door's over there, by the way, in case you already forgot."

"But if I leave, you might blow this place up."

The Reverse Flash bored his gaze into him. "I'm tempted to, _now_."

"Alright, _alright_ ," the other relented. "I'm listening."

Reverse Flash looked away, distancing himself mentally from the other. He wasn't even sure why he was bothering, only that he felt he should. If the Flash was to die by his hand, it seemed only fair that he knew the truth of their war. Now, when they weren't at each other's throats, when they were both waving a white flag, he had the chance to relay it.

"I..." He stalled, but forced himself to continue with his truth. And once it started, he couldn't stop the way it poured out of him. He couldn't stop thinking of every moment he'd wanted Barry to just hear it his way, to see it his way, to understand why Reverse Flash was so important. "I became obsessed with you after you saved me. With the Flash. As I told you before, I recreated the incident that gave you your powers, also gaining the same abilities. I had every intention to go after you and become your greatest ally." He chuckled. "It...seems very stupid and silly to think about, now."

He walked a few steps, staring at one of the exhibits. He appreciated that the Flash had gone as silent as a rock. "I came up with this perfect plan. I wouldn't approach you directly, I'd take down some criminals of my own first, and when word got around, you'd find me. It was flawless. I followed the plan...and youdid find me, just as predicted. It was to be the most glorious moment in my life, I had concluded..." He stopped, a grin breaking across his face as if he were thinking of a joke. Just as quickly, though, it fell away. "But, it wasn't. You...you weren't anything that I expected...or hoped."

They continued their walk through the museum, but also down the highways of Eobard's memory. 

"So, what happened that made you decide I wasn't the hero you thought?" Flash prompted.

"It took some convincing, but you decided you would let me...tag along... Time passed, and at first, it was successful...very successful...I was complete, and it was perfect... But things began to..." He stopped his stride and met Barry's unreadable gaze fixed upon him with rapt attention. He resumed his story. "Things began to fall apart. You didn't trust me at all. The other you said it was nothing personal, it was that he could trust no one anymore - he couldn't let anyone close... I spent... _so long_ , trying to learn who you were, trying to be your friend and ally, but you shot me down every. Single. Time." He shook his head.

"It makes sense to me _now_ , but it didn't, then. I did everything to show you that I was...the most devoted ally you could and would ever have...and..." He spun away and began to walk. His words also increased in tempo with raw emotion. "Well, it was a lot like non-metahuman me trying to beat down a redwood tree with my bare fists. Nothing worked, and it was more painful than not. You took the sole credit for _our_ actions, treated me like an irritating fly, and constantly criticized my actions. I felt at times that I could count the number of positive things you said to me on my fingers. Well, after one of our arguments - we had a lot of those, then, too - I made a point to run faster than I ever had before... My adrenaline was high, I was angry...and I accidentally ran into the future. I saw us, there, fighting, as Flash and Reverse Flash.

"At the time, I didn't believe what I was seeing. I returned to the time we were in. I was going to tell you what I'd saw, to ask why, but then, there was an attack, and I didn't get a chance.

"When we got to where the attack had happened, there was the criminal waiting for us, as usual.... But he'd taken two hostages. One was a girl, no more than ten, and the other was an old man. My head was still clouded with what I'd seen, and I was distracted. I just wanted to get it over with... I told you we could get both hostages out before he could fire his weapon, and you told me no. You moved to negotiate. Well, I disagreed, and rushed in." Eobard stopped before one of the displays, eyes lost in that other timeline. He gritted his teeth. "If you had warned me...or stopped me...something...maybe... See, the bastard was smart. Too smart for his own good, it turned out. He had rigged a weapon to fire on the hostages if a speedster tried to rush in, before he could ever hope to reach them. Both of those hostages died. I was furious, and all that hate and anger just fueled me... I knocked him down, and I didn't stop punching him...I couldn't...

"When you came to me, the criminal was dead. My first victim. You told me that we were done. I'd killed a man, and two innocents were dead. You told me... I wasn't fit to be a hero. Just like that, after one mistake, after everything that I..." He inhaled and started again, "after how much I had done...to be your..." he exhaled, tone shaking.

There was a pause, in which the Reverse Flash didn’t move or look toward his enemy. He burned with emotion, and he didn't trust himself how he might act in that moment, how he might react to whatever may be on the Flash's face. This wound was far more raw than he'd thought it was. What was worse, was that he had the faint realization that it would never heal, that it would always fester with hatred, and would only be fed every time he bloodied his hands again and again.

And it would never end until the man next to him lay dead in his arms, as was his right to take his life.

Barry said nothing.

Eobard decided to finish with his truth, voice evening out. "After all of that, I went back to the future, and met myself there. I had a long talk with him, and he enlightened me. He showed me the truth about you. You were no hero. You were a lie. A lie I'd believed in for so long. I became, Reverse Flash. I went to the future one more time, to relieve you of some things you'd created, including Gideon. Then, I felt confident in bringing you down. We've been at war ever since...and you know the rest..."

More silence occurred.

"I...see," Barry broke it. His next words surprised Eobard. "I wonder what happened to that other me, to make him do what he did, to act like he did."

_Strange._

He wasn't defending his actions in the other timeline... In fact, he almost seemed to...agree with his reverse's sentiment. Almost.

"He - you - weren't happy with anything," Eobard replied, observing a glass case. "Sometimes, though...it seems so far away. Like a terrible nightmare that's finally over...and in those moments, I sometimes wonder which of us is right..." He looked up, tone changing. "But then I snap out of it and remember it well enough. I am, Reverse Flash, and my destiny is to be your demise - to be a monster in the eyes of everyone."

The two of them stopped at an ancient gun from one of Flash's long-gone foes.

"Just to be perfectly clear," Eobard continue, "I will never forgive you, and my hatred will always outweigh anything else that may occur between us... I just want you to die knowing why you died. I think...you - here and now - deserve that much."

"Thanks so much," Barry said, voice dry. "You're just so generous, aren't you?"

Eobard smiled a little. "Are you going to call me unbelievable again?"

"I'm tempted to."

"Then why don't you?"

Allen stared, and Eobard found himself not wanting to look away this time. He still felt unsettled by everything he'd admitted, a swirling maelstrom of emotions barely suppressed inside. And yet, gazing at the other, he felt a calming effect, knowing the other _understood_ , now, even if he didn't like it.

The Flash Museum's PA system came on. _"Attention all visitors, the museum will be closing in fifteen minutes."_

"Looks like it's time to go," Eobard remarked, breaking eye-contact and making for the door.

Barry followed. His holoblock pinged. "Hold on." They paused just outside as he pulled out his device. "Looks like I finally got a ping on Darkstar's location. We won't be stopping by Whisper’s, then. Time to make sure this meta finds a nice, comfortable prison cell." He looked up, shrugging. "I don't suppose you'll let me handle this one alone."

"Not a chance." Eobard held up his Reverse Flash ring and changed into his suit in a heartbeat.

"No killing." Barry also changed.

They charged away, Eobard following the Flash. If he was being honest with himself, he was rather grateful to be distracted from what had just occurred. He wasn't quite ready to process it all, and he had the feeling that Barry wasn't, either.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, I've been editing these chappys pretty fast(which is surprising, since these latest chapters have been longer than I remember, whew). Been having major Eobarry feels lately, and I'm so eager to get further into this fic, to see what you readers think of it. :D Hope I'm able to keep them coming at a quick rate.
> 
> Also, quick question for you guys. Do you think it'd be better if I just started writing S.T.A.R. Labs as Star Labs instead, or is S.T.A.R. not as distracting as I'm starting to wonder? And should I take the periods out of A.I.? Certain areas of grammar(like this one) aren't my strong suit... -_-'


	16. Darkstar Assassin

The two speedsters rushed into the ground floor of a skyscraper. In spite of being annoyed with helping the Flash, Eobard felt the hint of a thrill run through him at the thought of the upcoming action. They flew up several flights of stairs before Barry burst through a side door. They paused in the new room.

Across from them, the criminal stood, looking out a set of large windows that gazed down on the night time city around and below them. Eobard noted that he was decked from head to toe in black armor with interwoven strands of glowing blue. A satchel was gripped in his hand. He turned to them, the eyes of his headgear a distinct, glowing-blue. "Well, I wondered how long it'd take you to catch up to me, Flash." His voice sounded electronic through his communicator. "And, it wasn't very long, though I suppose that's why they call you a _speedster_."

"You're responsible for the murder this morning," Barry guessed. "And for the robbery?"

"Yes," the man confirmed. "And now you are here to bring me in for justice? You’re the famous super-cop of Central City?"

"Something like that. Why did you kill that man?" Flash began to pace, eyes on the other.

"If I answer _your_ question, will you answer a question of mine?" returned the criminal, dropping the bag he'd been holding. He kicked it a few feet behind him, toward the windows.

"Why not?" Barry shrugged.

Eobard shifted with impatience.

Their target explained, "I killed the man because I was paid to." He flexed his empty hands, body tensing, relaxing. "I'm known as the Darkstar Assassin, though it's okay if you haven't heard of me until recently. I didn't used to operate outside of Wustread, but I’m looking to expand my business. And this was an opportunity I could not pass up."

Wustread, Eobard noted, was the place where Cisco now resided. He wondered if it was a coincidence.

“Sooooo," Barry said, "...you kill people because you get paid to?”

“I kill because I enjoy it. Money is a nice bonus, though... My turn for a question, now. Why didn't you attack me first? Surely speeding in and landing one well-placed, unexpected hit would be the most efficient way to take down your foes and minimize harm to yourself? Interrogation can come later."

"The thing is," Flash said. "I tried that. Then criminals started anticipating it, right down to the exact seconds. Gave them perfect opportunities to set traps."

"I see. This is your way of assessing your foe, to see what level of power you may need, to keep an eye out for dangers and weaknesses alike. Smart."

Eobard was tired of this. He felt the Speed Force flow through his body, and he harnessed it. He shifted into motion, knowing he would be but a blur of motion. He burst forward. The assassin spun toward him, catching him by the neck. The force of the impact sent a surging pain down his throat. He coughed and gasped.

"Surprised?" asked Darkstar, sounding rather smug.

_"What kind of...metahuman are you?"_ Eobard coughed, struggling to breath.

"The kind you don't trifle with, Reverse Flash."

He felt the other toss him, throwing him like he were a toy. He hit the ground hard.

_That was a mistake, you bastard._ Eobard pushed to his feet.

"Now, before we begin this inevitable confrontation," the assassin said, brushing his hands off, "I have an offer. I'm willing to forgo payment for contracts I procured on both of your lives. After all, free reign to run my operation in this city will be much more profitable in the long run than killing you two, so...deal? I'm generous. If you surrender now, I will let you both live."

_"Funny,"_ Eobard growled. _"I was just thinking something similar, Darkstar."_ He stood still, uncertain how to launch his next attack. Unlike with Killer Frost, he knew this man hadn't slowed him down. It was something else, as if his reflexes were instantaneous.

“No killing,” Allen reminded his reverse.

Eobard rolled his eyes. “ _I’ll try not to. No promises._ ”

"Hey."

Darkstar cut into their banter, "time to make good on those contracts, then." He lunged forward.

Eobard darted away, glad to find that the other did not have such speed to pursue him. Flash moved in with a direct assault, launching speed-punches against the assassin's armored chest. Darkstar deflected with his gauntlets, knocking Barry off balance. He struck back, landing one solid punch into Barry's torso. Eobard heard a sharp crack, and knew that one or more of the Flash's ribs were done in. The hero of Central City crashed against the far wall with a cry, cracking the stone there. He thudded to the ground.

_Ouch._

Eobard was a bit put off by how easy Darkstar had made it look.

"I guess you have not come up against a foe of my level before now," Darkstar noted, as if reading the Reverse Flash's thoughts. He dusted off the back of his fist as though it had gathered dirt. "Surprising. I thought you would be more difficult to bring down, Scarlet Speedster."

Eobard dashed forward, vibrating his molecules. Darkstar twisted to him, hand lashing out. The Reverse phased and it passed through him. _"Surprise!"_ Thawne exclaimed, grinning. He moved, darting around the enemy. He solidified his hand, landing his first punch against the distracted assassin. Darkstar didn't flinch, though.

The Flash fell from the other side, driving both fists into the small of the man's back. Darkstar stumbled and spun on his heel. With a growl, he kicked out, but Barry dodged that, rushing around the man. Dashing in a circle around the enemy, he surrounded him with several after-images of himself.

Eobard nodded in approval. He remembered how he was the first one to introduce that trick to him. _Speed Mirages._

Darkstar turned his gaze about, observing the multiple images, searching for his enemy.

Barry's doppelgangers moved as if to strike, drawing Darkstar's attention. Eobard darted in, raising his fist ringed in red lightning. He landed his own attack on Darkstar just as Barry slammed a dozen punches into his face. The assassin flew from the combined impact, sliding across the floor. It wasn't long before he was on his feet again.

_"Your armor is good,"_ Eobard commented, shaking an aching hand. _"But not good enough."_ He phased forward, hand out.

The enemy expected the punch, and braced himself. Only, Eobard had no intentions of punching. He thrust his fingers into the man's chest, and solidified them. Blood dripped from the armor. Darkstar looked down, a cry echoing from his communicator.

_"Apparently, Darkstar,_ you _have met your match,"_ Eobard said with a triumphant laugh.

Flash ran in, kicking out. His foot impacted with their foe's stomach, and he flew once more, rolling closer to the windows. Darkstar groaned, pushing himself up. Blood still leaked from his chest, dripping onto the floor. It was obvious to the Reverse Flash the wound was wearing on him. Flash appeared there before him, fist raised, ready to strike.

"Wait," Darkstar coughed, throwing up a hand. "You...are good...I'll give you that...though...not good enough... You can't stop me.”

"Why do you think that? Look at you," snorted Barry. "Some assassin."

"Because," Darkstar responded, "you both fell right into the trap so nicely." He tapped a button on the side of his gauntlet.

Both speedsters registered the action.

Barry met Eobard's gaze and started to yell, "GET AW-"

A shockwave of power flowed over the floor. A few moments after it happened, Eobard was aware of being struck with the immense, stunning blast. He found himself tumbling through the glass of the windows, shattering it, falling through the air. The highway below buzzing with vehicles rushed toward him, and he blinked, vision blurred from the wind. He was aware that this was going to be a near-thing.

Something strong and firm curled around him, and he whipped into a horizontal direction instead of a vertical one.

Eobard hit a rooftop. He rolled over to see Barry. The other looked back to the skyscraper, then raced away.

"He's gone," the Flash said when he came back. "Darkstar vanished in the chaos. Of course he ran away the moment things went south for him."

"He intended to send us flying all along," Eobard responded. He stood up, blinking. His head cleared. "How did you avoid falling?"

"I was able to grab onto some debris when I got hit."

A few seconds went by.

"You know," Eobard said, rubbing his temples through his mask, "you never cease to amaze me."

"What now?"

"This is the second time you've went out of your way to ensure I didn't die. Saving the life of the man who is going to kill you, when you know damn well you'll never be able to lock me away, is really - and I do mean _really_ \- stupid."

Flash met Eobard's gaze, unflinching. "What part of 'the Time Demon is after us,' do you not get? I need your help."

"You have the gun. Whether I'm alive or not, doesn't change that fact. I think it's more than that. And even if the gun didn't work, I'm not fast enough to stop Time Demon, and neither are you."

Barry said, "well, what kind of a hero would I be if I let you go splat on the road?"

"Not that I would've," Eobard assured. "And you know it. I could have phased to limit the damage... Though there was still a chance, however small." He tilted his head, expression changing. "You went out of your way to ensure there was _no_ chance. Besides, Barry," his voice became venomous, "we _both_ know just how heroic you really are."

He paced over to his long-time nemesis, looking down his nose at him the best he could, even though they were around the same height. "It would solve so many of your problems if I were gone... If you just..." He shrugged. "...accidentally...didn't save me. I'd be gone. If you took every opportunity to try and get me killed... Perhaps one problem would be..." He snapped his fingers. "Gone. Forever. And it wouldn't even dirty _your_ hands, because you didn't _really_ kill me... Hero or not, my death would probably save a lot of lives. But you don't take _any_ such opportunities. Not one.  _Why?_ Aren't you even a little tempted?"

Barry turned away from him. He took a few, slow, uncertain steps. He looked back.

Eobard felt a strange surge of emotions, and no small amount of deja vu, though he wasn't certain why.

When the other speedster spoke, his voice was a whisper. "I suppose, Thawne... You were right. I couldn't let you...go... Not when..."

Eobard took a step closer, heart stuttering. "Come again?" he rasped in disbelief.

There was a strange vibration in their molecules, a specific charge that was very similar to each other, almost in sync.

_We are feeling the exact same way. We have to be. It makes sense._

“Barry…”

He wanted an opening - an opening to say exactly what he was certain they were both thinking.

Barry's frequency jumped into another speed, as though he were alarmed. "I suppose..." he replied, looking away.  "...I suppose I just can't help myself from being a hero," he said, tone light, belaying his state of vibrations. He sped away.

Eobard stared at the space that Barry had just occupied, knowing full well the other speedster hadn't repeated himself correctly.

And he had no idea how to feel about it.

He looked up to the stars in the sky, only just visible beyond the lights of the city.

_Why do I feel like this?_

" _Desiderium_ ," he murmured to himself.

* * *

Whisper walked into her room and froze. Her hand dropped to the laser at her side.

“Don’t worry. It’s me,” came a familiar voice.

She loosened her stance and crossed to the table. She saw Darkstar, leaning in the opposite chair, like before.  "How did you get in here? I didn't give you the code," she stated.

He groaned and sat forward. He chuckled. "Secrets of the trade."

She saw dried blood on his armor around an obvious puncture. “What happened to you? Do you need medical attention?”

“No. The bleeding has already stopped, even if it still smarts.”

“You failed your contract, Darkstar,” she guessed. "So the Reverse Flash is truly unstoppable. More so with the Flash involved."

“No. I did not _fail_ , Whisper. I assessed my enemy tonight. I needed to know their potential in combat, and whether I was able to kill them up front or not. I am not. This will require more thought and time... I require your assistance once more.”

“How so?”

“I need to know their names. Flash and Reverse Flash. Who are they under the masks?”

She frowned. “I cannot tell you that. I gave you a means to end them, which should have been no problem if you're as good as you claim...but you failed my way.”

“I am the assassin, Whisper, and _I_ choose how I end my targets... That is why I am good, because I know how to take anyone's life... Fine, I know you don’t want the Flash’s death on your conscience. Just tell me who the Reverse is. I will find out about the other one _my_ own way.”

She contemplated, then sat down. “How does learning their names help you kill them?”

“There is a slew of ways I can kill them, if I know them. Where to start? I could learn their habits, watch from afar, kill from afar in the most unexpected moment. I could slip poison into their food and drink. I could put a dagger through their hearts as they sleep in what they believe the safety of their abodes. I could threaten their loved ones, force them to hand their heart to me on a silver platter in exchange for the lives of those they would die for. I could get my own henchmen, make them work against my targets without them even realizing what they’re doing - such as setting unwitting traps…and, well, you get the picture. My profession requires... _creativity_.”

“That’s...low...even by my standards, Darkstar.”

“You expected honor from a cold-blooded killer? I am an assassin, a human death-machine, not a soldier, not a warrior or a knight… Come on, Whisper. It’s your life on the line, correct? You want the Reverse Flash out of the picture. I am that remover. Give me the info I need, and your problem will vanish...and perhaps we will have a better work-relationship in the future...”

She closed her eyes. “It seems I have no choice. It’s this or death.”

“It is wise to recognize this, Whisper.”

“You are ruthless, for certain... Okay. I am willing to give you Reverse Flash's name. But I refuse to give you Flash's. That won't be on me."

“Alright. Now we're getting somewhere. Tell me who the Reverse is.”

“His name is...Eobard Thawne.”

Whisper saw the man stiffen. “Eobard Thawne?" He echoed. "You are without a doubt, certain? Absolutely certain?”

“Yes, I would not tell you if I were not one-hundred percent sure... I was even introduced right before he threatened my life. Why? You know this man?"

“I do." He leaned back and laughed softly. "Well... _Shit_."

* * *

Flash heard the ping. He picked up the block. “Whisper?”

“Listen, I cannot give you all the details, but I know that you’ve pissed Darkstar off. He’ll come back after you with a vengeance. If you get the chance, you must kill him. He’s insane.”

“Whisper?” Barry asked, pausing at her tone. He was unused to her sounding worried. “Have you spoken with him?”

“I have. He tried to come to me to gain information on you, but I didn’t give him anything...not that you’re hard to lure into a trap, Flash. Just watch out, very carefully. I don’t think he’s planning to come at you head-on again. He knows it’s too dangerous...just...don’t tell anyone else your _actual_ name, no matter how innocent they seem. I know he’s after your real name, to try and target your regular life.”

“Great,” Barry muttered, leaning back against the wall. “I'll deal with it. I’m not killing _anyone_ , Whisper. The police-”

“Even if you capture him, the police won't be able to contain him. There’s a reason why he’s run rampant in Wustread for the past thirty years. He is a master escape artist, and has escaped law-enforcement custody on sixteen occasions. They never even managed to I.D. him.”

“There’s not much choice, Whisper. I won’t kill him.”

“Then perhaps your new friend would. He's fine with killing.”

“No, I’m not having him kill him either. Just calm down. This isn’t the first time I’ve been targeted by revenge-seeking metas. I’ll be fine.”

“I did warn you. It is up to you what to do with this warning. So be it, Flash. Do what you see fit...”

The connection vanished.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The word that Eobard speaks at the end of that first part of the chapter(before the line break), Desiderium, is Latin. This is the definition; an ardent desire or longing - or - a feeling of loss or grief for something lost.
> 
> Also, I'm low on sleep at the moment, so I'm sorry if there's any typos I missed. Feel free to point any out if you notice them. :)


	17. Family Duty

"Are you sure you won't come, Eobard?" Aubriena Thawne asked.

"I swear, I would if I could," he responded, following her down the walkway to the drive. "You know how much I love the symphony. There's just so much going on at the moment, with STAR Labs and such..." He hoped it didn't sound like an excuse, because he wasn't quite convinced it wasn't one.

Eisla leaned on the sleek auto-car, smirking. Her dress fluttered in the cool breeze. "You could have brought Barry," she said.

"He's working," Eobard shot back, not wanting that particular conversation to go further than necessary.

"Hiding him, are you?" she asked, not getting the hint. Or maybe she was just ignoring it. That was the probable cause.

He resisted the urge to rub his temples, and chose to not reply.

His mother reached out to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You don't have to distance yourself anymore, Eobard," she said. "But I understand it'll take time to become comfortable with us knowing."

"It's okay," Eobard said, containing his exasperation. "It is. It's not even that. I'm just really excited about STAR Labs, you know? It's been a while since I've had a promising lead in a career like this."

She squeezed his shoulder with light fingers before dropping her arm. "We'll still be here when you're ready."

Emberson appeared beside her, a familiar partial-smile upon his face. "Mind if I have a word with my son?" he asked after pecking her cheek.

Eobard was a little surprised. A word? About what? He pushed away the uncertainty rising in him.

Aubriena tapped her husband's arm. " _Our_ son, you mean?"

"Yeah. The one and only."

"Okay, but don't make us late... Love you, Eobard. I'll see you later."

"Love you too."

She turned to the car and placed a hand on it, allowing the automated systems to open the door. She climbed inside.

Eisla waved at Eobard. "Step on you later, brother."

"Ditto."

She got into the car, too.

"What's this about?" Eobard asked his father.

The elder Thawne strode a few steps from the drive, crossing onto the trimmed lawn. He turned to his son, hands in the pockets of the dark tunic. "You know you can trust me, Eobard, right?"

"Of course... What's going on?" He shifted, hating the mystery of the situation.

Emberson gazed at him, brow scrunched, as though trying to figure something out. "...I'm...just worried about you," he admitted after a few moments. "It has occurred to me just how much you really have distanced yourself from us."

"I..." Eobard scrutinized the expression, a stab of anxiety hitting him. Could they be onto his secret? No, that was impossible. Silly, to even think of. 

Wasn't it? So why did he feel like he was being studied so much?

"Eobard... You do realize there is a certain obligation of us Thawnes, yes?"

"...Yes, I know. I'm trying, Dad. I am. I'm trying to do better at this family thing." Eobard almost sighed in relief to realize he was about to get the family-duty lecture. His secret was still safe.

To his shock, Emberson embraced him instead. "We're here for you. _I'm_ here for you. You don't have to face this alone, okay?"

Eobard was still formulating a response to this unexpected development when his father stepped back. Emberson winced, hand jerking up to his torso.

"You okay?" Eobard stepped forward on impulse.

"Yeah, yeah," the elder Thawne said, waving him back. "Just my shoulder acting up again." He shifted his arm in discomfort. "See? You'd have known that if you were around more," he added, sounding as if it were less of a joke, and more of a life lesson.

Eobard started, "maybe-"

"Heya!" A voice called. Larris Breckett strolled across the adjacent lawn towards them, waving. "Heading out?" their neighbor asked, leaning on the fence separating the two properties.

"Yes," Emberson replied. "I'm taking Aubriena and Eisla to the symphony."

"The Olden Palace, right? I love that theater."

"Yeah. Well, I should go before we're late."

"Wouldn't want that, now would we?"

Emberson looked at Eobard, a strange expression on his face. "Just...stay safe, son, okay?"

"Of course," Eobard replied. "Same to you." He didn't understand why the other was being so peculiar. _It probably has to do with the way I acted at the last party._

He watched his father traipse back to the car.

"Just between the two of us, friend," Larris said, drumming his fingers on the fence, as though excited, "I never liked the symphony. Feels like it lasts forever. I'd hate to be going where they're going now."

Eobard glanced at him sidelong. "You do realize that you're telling this to the wrong person, right?"

"Oh, right. You love the symphony, too. You're a Thawne. How could I forget?" He winked and strolled away.

Eobard was beginning to remember just why he hated most social interactions. At least this one was over with.

* * *

Darkness surrounded Eobard. He stared at the wall illuminated by the glow of circuits inside. He had never been one to sleep much, so he sat, cross-legged upon the bed in the old storage room that had been cleaned up and designated his own. He recalled, for amusement, how Barry had been less than pleased with the arrangement. And of course, his mind wandered further than that.

_Barry…_

Things were becoming complicated, he realized, and not in a good way. He wasn't sure how it had happened, or why, but he did know that it _was_ happening - that it wasn't just some trick of his mind. He found himself thinking far too much of the Scarlet Speedster. Well, not that he didn't used to think often of the man, but this was different. Instead of his thoughts turned to the hatred he'd so loved to stew in while devising nasty ways to gain revenge, he found himself wanting to... _understand_ the Flash, in a way he hadn't wanted to in a very long time. He wanted to look past the anger and hurt, to see something else, to see _someone_ else.

That was _not_ good.

Not only did it go against everything he was, but it made him start re-evaluating their entire dynamic of hatred and pain and suffering.

And the longer he did, the more frustrated he grew.

_Just forget it,_ he told himself. _He's the enemy. He will always be. Leave it at that. What's that ancient saying - if it isn't broke...then don't fix it? But it is broken. There is nothing more broken than whatever this is between us...hopefully a lot of space…_

_What?_

He hated himself for it, but he’d wanted to put his arms around the other man on that rooftop under that night sky filled with starlight, even if it was only for a moment. He'd wanted to listen to him breath the real reason of why he hadn’t let his reverse hit the highway and shatter every bone in his body, a truth so quiet, as if it needed to be kept secret from everyone but Eobard. He'd wanted so _dearly_ to hear it said aloud, so he could deny it. Even when he knew, in his heart, it would be a lie. He'd wanted the other to be honest, to insist, to be unrepentant for it, for his heroics, to be his complete opposite in every way in that moment. He'd wanted to lean closer, to force the other to confront the way he'd been feeling, because Eobard now realized this was no longer one-sided, or simple infatuation. It was a shared desire, twisted and unwanted by both of them.

Even if Barry didn't quite realize it yet.

But Eobard had still longed for a kiss from him, as intimately as he dared. Maybe even more. After all, they were both a living paradox already, only existing as they were now because of one another. Shouldn't they of all people get to push the limits? Why shouldn't they get to break the rules just to have something ultimately meaningless in the end? Hadn't they both already broken _so_ many rules? It didn't matter that they were mortal enemies, because it wasn't like they would ever feel anything _more_ than desire; there was too much hatred between them, too much history and bad blood. It didn't matter how much they despised each other, because in the end, it would just make it all the more bitter and rough and enticing.

He snorted and laughed to himself. _Like_ that _would ever happen._ _He's too good to even give in to lust, especially not for someone like me._ _And I suppose that's why we're reverses of one another. We'll never want the same things in the same way._

It was probably for the best. Neither one of them needed that extra baggage when their war resumed.

The full line of his thoughts sunk in.

_What the hell am I thinking? I need to be hit a few times, I think... How can I ponder this seriously?_

Perhaps he was more tired than he realized.

His block pinged from its spot of safety near the bed. He broke from his thoughts and leaned over, snatching it.

_Strange to get a call so late._ He tapped it and answered, audio-only. "Hello?" He asked.

"Is this Eobard Thawne?"

"Yes. Who's asking?"

They answered.

Eobard sat forward, a rush of horror flooding him. "What?"

They answered again.

The block slipped from his fingers. Eobard resisted the urge to freeze up. Shaking, heart pounding, he leapt from his bed. He dressed with his superspeed and flew out the door. He didn't hesitate for a single second to break into the Flash’s room. His opposite sat up in alarm at his abrupt entrance, hands up, seeming ready for a fight.

"Gideon, the lights. One hundred percent. Now."

"Yes, Professor."

The lighting increased. He saw the other squint.

“Thawne?” Allen mumbled, blinking. "What are you-?"

“Barry,” Eobard spoke loud and fast, “It’s Eisla...and my parents. There’s been an accident...with their vehicle. It....exploded…. You’ll come with me, won’t you? To the hospital?"

Barry stared at him for several seconds. With agonizing slowness, he responded, "...Yeah...yeah, sure. Okay. We'll go."

"Barry," Eobard said, voice threatening to crack. "My...parents...they aren't... They didn't..." He swallowed. " _Eisla's_ at the hospital."

The other speedster was dressed in an instant. "I understand. Let's go."

It slipped out before he could stop it. "Thank you."

Barry didn't respond, and they both burst from the room at a run.


	18. Immunity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short(er) chapter, so I decided to go ahead and edit and post, since my plans for today got ditched and I didn't have anything pressing to do.

Eobard sat at his sister's bedside, eyes downcast. “My-" he started, but his voice stopped. He inhaled and tried again, "My...mother is... They took her body...to the morgue...but they never found my father’s body. The vehicle fell into a river after it exploded… They won’t even be able to bury him…”

"You went to the future before, right?" Flash asked behind him. "Did you see... _this_...?"

"No," Eobard replied, voice faint. He twisted his fingers around themselves, twiddling his thumbs. "When I went to the future before, I never looked for my family. At that time, the only fate I cared about was yours and mine." He sighed. "I... Besides, my changing the past, may also have changed all of our futures...has most definitely changed the,.... Unfortunately, I was unprepared for _this_." He separated his hands and clenched them into fists. "I _hate_ being unprepared."

For a while, nothing but the machines whirring and the monitor beeping for a faint heartbeat filled the silence.

Eobard heard Barry shift. "Why did you ask me to come, anyway? I wouldn't expect you to want me around at a time like this."

Eobard exhaled. "The Ti-"

"The Time Demon?" Barry asked. "Yeah. That excuse is getting rather old - for both of us...isn't it? I think we both know it's not coming back until the nexus.”

"There are other enemies..."

"After over a hundred and fifty years of fighting criminals, you think one will just happen to get me tonight?"

"It has to happen some time, right?" Eobard snapped back. He twisted, fixing a glare on the other. "Fine. I had no one else to ask. Is that sufficient for you?"

Barry shifted again, looking almost uneasy. "What? Does that mean you...trust me? You wanted..."

"I'm only _human_ , Allen," Eobard retorted with sarcasm. "Well, metahuman, but even I would rather have _you_ here than _no one_ at all..." His anger receded. "Besides, it seemed only fair that you should be here, considering that I killed your mother."

Bartholomew stepped from the wall, brows scrunching. "What on Earth does that mean?"

"I was there when your family fell. Now you're here as mine falls. Even if she does waken, and...she should have by now...she'll never be the same... Mom and Dad...gone...just like that..." Eobard bit off his own words before they betrayed his weakness to the enemy... _that he'd brought with him._

_What is wrong with me?_

_This entire mess has scrambled my judgement…_

Barry asked, breaking into his thoughts, "are you planning on running back in time for them?"

"No. I knew this day would come, just not _when_. You know quite acutely that we speedsters will outlive most everyone we...care about... Even if I stopped the accident, or saved them from it, they would die another way, perhaps even sooner than now, or in a worse incident... As I've told you once before, our true enemy, Flash, is _time_ , not any metahuman, not the Speed Force, not..." He broke off and hesitated. "Time allows for no constants. Everything changes, and we lose people. We are destined to change, or die... I was aware of that when I became a speedster, that I would live long beyond everyone I knew. It was part of the reason I couldn't..." He looked away. "...Part of the reason I've avoided my family so much... I thought...it would make this more...bearable."

"I'm guessing not by much," Flash muttered.

"No, not much," Eobard agreed. He turned back to his sister. "But do not mistake me, Flash. I am not a cloud, wispy, weak, easily blown away." His fingers dug into the arms of his chair, forcing the words to curl through his being, reinforcing his conviction. "I have no heart, no passion but bloodlust. I am a _criminal_ , a _killer_ , a _monster_ as far as society is concerned… I am..." He stared into the still face in the hospital bed, clenching his jaw. "If I weren't that, perhaps...perhaps I would sit here and weep at her bedside and beg some non-existent god to bring them back. But those are not who I am." He folded his arms. "I am _immune_."

"Immune?" Barry repeated. "Listen to you..." He sounded irritated. "Fun fact. Having emotions, it's called being human. It doesn't have to be a weakness. You don't have to fight it."

"I can't fight what I don't have..."

"What happened to you caring about Cisco? Or Caitlin? Or your family? Yet, you claim you don't have emotions?"

"You know I lie."

"About which part?"

"You guess." Eobard's voice was icy.

"Unbelievable."

He could imagine Barry rolling his eyes. "You use that word to describe me a lot," Thawne noted. "I'm flattered."

"You are," Flash insisted. "You're sister is in the hospital, threatening to fall into a coma, and you sit there and talk about how strong you are because you aren't feeling the pain of it as much as you might... Maybe you are _weak_. Feeling emotion and surviving it takes courage, takes strength."

"Even if you are crippled by it?" Eobard asked before he could stop himself.

"Takes strength to prevent that, too."

Silence filled the air between them.

Eobard destroyed it. "What do you know, Barry Allen, _flawless_ hero of Central City?" He asked, his heart rate picking up. Anger, hot and fierce, flooded him like poisonous needles trapped under his skin, like an iron vise locked onto his heart. He stood and swiveled to his nemesis. He clenched his fists, tensing. "They never see when _you_ screw up. You're _perfect_. Sure, the media cries about any perceived flaw, but they cry about _everything_ for attention. Your fans, though, they don't flinch. They are staunch. They believe in you, without hesitation... They're _religious_. They _worship_ you. And they'll never stop. You should see it when they get up in arms thinking their great hero is being slandered and opposed."

He ground his teeth and jabbed a finger at the Flash. "True, you may have lost _your_ family, but you have this city. And your friends. Pretty good replacement, huh? That is, heh, _a lot_ more people. _I_ have _no one else_."

He saw a spark of electricity run through the other's eyes. Eobard was seized by the desire to fight, to rip apart skin, to shed blood, to break bones. He wanted war.

But the Flash took a step back, refusing, shaking his head. "I'm not fighting you, Eobard."

"Why not?" he replied. "I'm ready to break every bone in your body! All we'd have to do, is step outside." He bared his teeth in a snarl.

"Because it's not me you want to fight," Barry said. "It's the thing that took your family away, right? But you can't fight death...not even with super powers. I learned that the hard way long ago."

Eobard rushed forward, slamming Barry against the wall. His vision burned red, and crimson electricity flared across him. _"You are no hero_ ," he growled with the vibrating voice of the Reverse Flash.

Barry stared back at him, defiant and unfazed, almost daring him to take their minor confrontation into a full fight. 

The Reverse let go, spinning on his heel. He stared at his sister, inhaling deeply. She hadn't deserved this. Barry wasn't wrong. He wanted to fight, to hurt someone, because someone should pay for this tragedy. But there was no one to lay the blame on - no one he could make suffer for his anguish.

He sighed. "Leave me alone, Barry," he muttered. " _Now_."

He heard the footsteps of the other exiting the room. He returned to his chair, screaming inside.

* * *

Eobard stood still, silent. He felt nothing that he could understand. It was as if a black hole had opened inside, draining all the pain he had expected to feel. He had no tears. No words. No grief. He had nothing. They had buried his parents side by side earlier that morning. Or, they would have, if they’d had two bodies. At least the tombstones suggested otherwise. Words he hadn't heard had been read for his mother and father, for the benefit of the sea of mourners that had come for the Thawnes' funeral out of obligation. Eobard hadn't recognized most - if any - of those giving their condolences. Now, they were gone, and a single person stood by his side with a respectful silence and patience.

The Flash.

The irony was not lost on him. Bartholomew Henry Allen was the last person who should have been there, and yet, he was the only person who would be there in that moment. Eobard was once again reminded of the paradox that was their existence.

The blood-red rose dropped from his gloved hand to land between the new graves.

" _Aeternum vale_ , Mother, Father."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you probably noticed, that last line Eobard says is partially Latin. Aeternum vale. It translates literally into; eternal farewell.
> 
> Sorry... :,(


	19. Confession

The Flash suit adorned a mannequin, various dried stains and scrapes decorating its surface, and... Was that blood, too? Eobard wondered. It was hard to tell against the rich, red tones and obvious mud spatters. He watched Barry using a damp towel to wipe at the grime and tried to recall just how the suit had gotten into its current condition. The other speedster must have been called out to his usual crime-fighting hobby at some point.

As for himself, Eobard was starting to grow used to the frustrating routine of the Flash painstakingly cleaning and repairing every square inch of his suit by hand whenever it fell into disrepair, no matter how big or small, simple or complex, the piece in question was. And there was far more tech in the suit now than when Eobard had known it in the twenty-first century, taking even more time to mend than it would have then.

He made a mental note to thoroughly scan the Flash's suit in secret at the next opportunity to see if he might be able to enhance his own through as-of-yet unknown technological upgrades. A smile graced his lips at the thought. The last time he'd stolen technology from the Flash, he'd gained Gideon. What other edge-giving devices might Barry Allen be hiding from him?

He leaned back in his seat, boredom setting in. Both speedsters were tapping into the Speed Force. perceptions enhanced. Time crept past as hours instead of seconds, and despite the use of superspeed, it could still take Barry a fair while just to get his suit back up to one-hundred percent condition.

Eobard decided to end the silence. "Still stubbornly refusing to use Gideon's help, I see. She'd have finished by now."

Barry didn't slow when he answered. "Like I said before, I don't need an AI for this... Actually, I prefer doing this by hand. And if your so bored with it, you could just stop experiencing this in superspeed."

Eobard ignored that last part. "So, why _do_ you prefer to do this by hand?"

"It's...hard to explain..." Allen hesitated on his words. "I suppose it's...relaxing, in a way. Doing something simple. Doing something menial but necessary. It...helps me feel human, I guess you could say."

"How _very_ humble of you, _Flash_ ," mocked Eobard.

More scrubbing was his only answer.

"I have a confession," announced the Reverse Flash.

Perhaps it was a misperception, but he swore to himself the Flash slowed his work for a brief moment.

"What's that?" The other speedster queried, his light tone giving nothing away.

"Well, first, let me say - you weren't completely wrong at the hospital... It takes strength to feel emotions. Like sorrow, you said." Eobard stood from his chair and took a few steps toward the Flash. "You weren't wrong," he repeated.

"That's a surprise to hear from you."

"I don't suppose I could bother _the almighty hero_ to stop wiping a hole in that suit for a moment."

"If you insist." Exhaling, Barry stopped himself and threw the towel onto the shoulder of the mannequin. He turned to Eobard and folded his arms, impatience on his face, in his movements, in the added Speed Force flashing in his eyes. "Okay. What is it?"

"I don't know why I'm telling you this, or why I even feel like I _should_... It's just...these past few days have certainly given me some...perspective on..." he hesitated. "I think I've been wrong. I thought I could be immune, but...it's not the same, knowing that I can't see them anymore."

"From my experience, when normal people - you know, people who have emotions besides hate and hobbies that have nothing to do with murder - when they lose their entire family, they usually have a more...severe response. Like I said, Thawne, you're unbelievable."

"I do feel the urge to blow up a city block or two. Does that count?" Eobard asked, keeping his voice light. "And this time, it has nothing to do with you."

Allen narrowed his eyes. "That sounds a _little_ more believable...for you, anyway."

"But I like being unbelievable."

"That's entirely up to you. Every time."

"You know, Barry, when I was trapped back in the," he grimaced, " _twenty-first_ century, I thought I'd lost my family then. It wasn't the same, of course. I had hope that I would return to this time, but over _fifteen_ long years went by... Nearly sixteen. Years that felt like forever...and what I learned... I learned that I could only keep going as long as I held onto the hope that I would have everything I'd lost back. My speed, my family...my life... I had even lost the constancy that was our war... And for some time, it was a terrible, waking nightmare, where it was all different." He moved to lean against the wall. "But then, it got better... I was forced to make connections...some of them, more than simple connections. Hartley, Cisco, Caitlin... _You_...my worst enemy, at first ignorant to who I truly was. It...forced me to live a completely different life." He chuckled. "And, in some ways, it grew on me. In some ways, I miss it... When I left my Wells’ identity behind, I lost some of that feeling...but not quite as much as I expected."

Barry said nothing.

Eobard looked at the floor. "So, do you want to hear my confession?"

“Shoot.”

"Well, apparently not all monsters are heartless." He took a deep breath. "I have been crying, Barry." Eobard said, each word calm, simple. It was odd, but it was so _liberating_ to say that sentence, to admit a truth he'd wanted to hide. He snorted an emotionless laugh. "I know, right? Me, of all people? It's not...all-out bawling, though. It's just tears coming to me in the dead of night, when I'm sleepless... Ridiculous, I know, for me, but it comes and goes... I _do_ feel more than I admitted." He turned his gaze back to the Flash.

Gray-green eyes stared back at him, shimmering with Speed Force. Eobard hated how he found himself wanting to be lost in them. As if now was the time for such nonsense.

Flash asked, "Then why act like you didn't?"

"Why not? I’ve told you a thousand times - I lie," Eobard replied, stepping from the wall. “And I do it, because I…don’t trust you...”

“If you don’t trust me,” Allen said, “why do you keep acting like you do?”

The Reverse Flash felt a strange sensation rising in his gut, and he knew that the best word to describe it could only be trouble. A rush of annoyance flooded him. "I don't know," he breathed. "I'm starting to wonder if anything I do anymore is logical."

His holoblock pinged.

Eobard started. He hadn't realized they were back to a regular perception of time. With a sigh, he pulled out the block and dropped it on the desk. “Hello?”

“Hello, Eobard Thawne,” came a familiar voice, projected into the room. “Or should I say...Reverse Flash?”

“Larris?” He asked. He leaned towards the block, brows furrowed. "What did you say?"

“Reverse Flash, of course. Yeah…I know your dirty little secret, friend."

Barry walked over, staring hard at the small device. "Larris Breckett? From the party?"

"Ah, you've got company, Eobard. Is that Barry I hear? Interesting... Did he know you were the Reverse Flash? Guess you shouldn't have set it to audio-only."

He didn't feel like wasting the effort trying to hide the truth. "How do you know my identity?"

"I've known for awhile now. I used to work at the CIA, remember? We had every metahuman that was a potential danger recorded down in the database - and their likely identities. It wasn't long before I narrowed it down to you."

"So why mention this now?"

"Well, I figured this was as good a time as any to let you know what happened to your precious family... _I_ happened to them, and now, they’re gone. Well, all except Eisla...but you know what they say - it’s all a matter of time... It hurts, doesn't it?”

Eobard felt horror sinking in. “You...you killed them? But...why?”

“Why? Because of revenge, my friend. You see, Caroline didn't want to die. She was going to school to become a docter. But you took her away from me, in a split second, you shredded her heart into a million tiny pieces. I never knew there was so much blood in a human body, but I learned then... After you took her from me, I spent years planning this, finding out who you were, getting close to your family, close enough to strike. You'll recall I moved into the neighborhood just last month? Took awhile to win enough trust to learn of that road trip the rest of you were taking, and it was on a perfect set of roads...to destroy the Thawnes. But there's still one left, besides you. Eisla. My revenge is nearly complete. You’ll come to the coordinates I’m sending you...or your sister will die.”

Eobard's hands clenched, and anger flooded him. "Larris, if you-"

The call ended with a ding.

"Goddamnit!" he snapped, shoving back. He paced the room, almost trembling. "Why didn't I see this coming? I never even suspected he was ever anything but well-meaning. I could have stopped him. I _should_ have."

“Eobard?” Barry asked.

"And mother and father always wondered why I never trusted people. They have so many layers, so many motivations. No one is ever who they seem to b-"

"Eobard."

Barry grabbed his arm.

The Reverse Flash looked at him.

"We'll save your sister. I promise."

Eobard realized himself and shrugged the other away. "No, Barry. _I_ will save my sister. This isn't a simple confrontation. This is personal. Stay out of it." He returned to his holoblock, saw the coordinates, and left the cortex with a burst of speed.

* * *

The airport buzzed with life around them, bright lights drowning out the dark, night sky. The gravity-defying vehicles drifted in the air, humming, some heading for the stars, others coming from them. It was cold, and there was the faint smell of wet earth, steel and electricity.

“You shouldn’t be here, Barry,” Eobard muttered to the stubborn speedster at his side as he crossed the asphalt of the parking lot. “This is personal. Go back to STAR Labs. I won’t be long, I imagine.”

“I'm not-" Barry started.

A ping from Eobard's holoblock interrupted him.

“Good, you made it,” Larris said when he answered. “I have to admit, I was rather incredulous when I found out the psychopath had a family he cared about. I guess it's all about perspective, though. And you have _none_ where your victims are concerned.”

“Where is my sister?” Eobard asked, though he had an idea.

"Ah yes, forgive me for savoring this. It's just been a long time coming. She’s still unconscious, in case you were worried about her finding out your secret. Anyway, she's with me...above the Earth, in low orbit. You want her, you take a shuttle. Throw your precious Thawnes' savings at the ticket, eh?”

“You want me to leave gravity behind,” Eobard guessed. “You want me unable to use my speed.”

“Well, it’s that or letting Eisla die. I've decided I'll let her live if you give up, so this is entirely up to you, now.”

Eobard tapped the block to silent. He looked to the Flash. "I've got to go, Barry."

“I’m coming with you,” the hero insisted.

Thawne glared at him. “Why?”

“Because you’ll need help, without your speed.”

“You won’t have speed, either.”

“All the more reason. Two is better than one.”

Eobard relented. “If you insist. I'm not wasting any more time arguing over this... Just know that I’m going to kill him, Barry, and more importantly, save my sister. You cannot stop me. You cannot be a hero. Not this time.”

Flash narrowed his eyes. “We’ll save your sister, Eobard. Let me help. Trust me.”

Eobard sighed and looked forward. “I hope you realize that this doesn’t change anything between us.”

“Don't worry. I know.”

He stalked to an autobooth. A servicebot stood just behind the bars of the desk. "Welcome to the Central City Aviation Service. How may I serve you?" It greeted cordially.

"I need a shuttle ticket for a solo flight. My information is already in the system. Eobard Thawne."

"One moment please." The bot bobbed its head, sockets glowing. "Ah yes, Professor Eobard Thawne. Please be advised, the shuttle port on the lunar surface is closed for another three hours for routine maintenance. Would you prefer to wait?"

"No. I want two satellite tickets, _now_."

"Okay. Funds received. Two virtual satellite tickets delivered for - Eobard Thawne - Shuttle designation: B-D-3-0-2-9-4-0... Enjoy your zero-gravity flight, and don't forget to get screenshots upon landing!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, I did my final edit just before bed, so I apologize if there's any typos. Secondly, I know there's probably some confusion over Larris and Darkstar and such.  
> I hoped it showed in the writing, but I'll state it clearly here just in case you missed it - Larris isn't Darkstar. Personality and history just doesn't match up. (also note: Darkstar only learned Reverse Flash's name a few days ago in this fic, where as Larris has known for years) :) So, nope, sorry to you readers who thought Darkstar was responsible for the death of Eo's parents...and don't worry. It'll all become clear in the future. If Larris feels a little out of left field, go through his scenes and reread his dialogue (most notably, in the chapters, The Dance, and Family Duty). It'll make more sense with a refresher. ;)


	20. Gravity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Due to the fact that some of my future chapters were rather long, I split some of them in half. One of them even had to be split into three. Whew. At any rate, the total chapter amount is now 45 instead of 40.

Rattling, the vehicle left the Earth’s gravity behind. Barry twisted, gazing back through the windows. “Wow.”

“It is a sight,” Eobard agreed, following his gaze. He adjusted his gloves.

The world below them shimmered with light from hundreds of thousands of cities and the sun rays bleeding over the planet’s circumference. “This is amazing,” Barry said. "I’ve never been to space before. Can’t afford a shuttle ride on a CSI’s salary.” He laughed a little. "When I was a kid, I wanted to be an astronaut. Guess this is pretty close, huh?"

Eobard looked at the awe-struck wonder on his face, and in spite of his own anxiety, found himself a little amused. "I wanted to be a geneticist. My father used to be one, a long time ago."

His heart clenched.

He turned his eyes to the stars outside, distracting himself, and for just a moment, he wondered at the mysteries that lay beyond. If one dimension of the universe was infinite, did that mean that all things in it were, too? And if so, did that mean that there was another Eobard Thawne and Barry Allen out there, somewhere, amidst the stars? Could they be found, if only one could travel far enough? Did they hate each other so much? Were they in an unending battle against one another? Sure, there were alternate realities of them, alternate versions, but none of them were _this_ reality or _this_ version.

_No._

In no existence or dimension could they be the same as they were, here and now. And that was why _they_ were significant in the vast emptiness that was the universe.

_And here I am, thinking about Barry again. About us._

“So, Larris is doing this because you killed someone he knew..."

_Speaking of the devil._

The Reverse turned his gaze to the questioning face fixed on him. “So he said. I feel like I should have seen this coming. I do remember him mentioning having worked for the CIA at one point."

“Aren't you..." the hero hesitated on his words, as though struggling to say what he wanted to, "...worried this will happen more often? Don’t you ever want to stop hurting people?”

“Do you ever want to stop being a hero?” Eobard shot back. “And you incur more risks than I do. You almost always piss off the type of people who are not scared to take revenge, and they have no honor in how they do it. And you'll never kill them, end them permanently.” He sighed. “It’s what I am, Barry. It’s what I was made to be.”

"That's a lame excuse."

"Yeah, well, I'm not debating this with you. There's no way you'd understand anyway..."

"I understand well enough... You hate me. And I know why. I did something to you and it changed you. Now, I admit that I may not understand everything that went on then, but I do know that whatever it was, it didn't give you the right to kill people. If I hurt you that badly, you should have came after me, and me alone. Not them."

Eobard stared at him, hating this abrupt righteousness aimed at him. "Yeah, as if that would have hurt you _at all_. You all but dared me to come after you. You would have overpowered me and locked me away forever... But that's not even the point. The point, Allen, is that. You. Abandoned. _Me_. I needed you to feel that agony, down to your soul. And what better way than to ruin your god-complex? To make you imperfect in the eyes of your precious city?" He shifted his gaze back to the blackness out of the window. There were a million things he could say in the lull that followed. He could explain it all. He could appeal to the other's emotional side. He could confess far more than this pain.

Perhaps they could find some kind of common ground. Perhaps he'd be able to gain something that'd been plaguing his mind for awhile now.

But he didn't want it. Or he didn't _want_ to want it, which was essentially the same thing. He would always hate the Flash. And the Flash would always hate him. It was destiny, and it wasn't going to change anytime soon. Why waste time playing around with pointless desire, an amusement that would be crushed under the endless weight that was the grand scheme of fate?

“There’s Larris’s shuttle,” Eobard said, seeing the other vehicle suspended in space beyond them, a small dot growing larger in the windows. When they reached it, he eased their own vehicle up next to it, latching the docking bridges between them.

He felt the weightless sensation of the gravity simulators shutting down. Only the belts held him down, now. He released them, drifting from his seat. He seized a handle on the wall.

"Gravity at zero percent," Gideon's voice spoke into the shuttle from Eobard's wrist piece. "Please be aware, Professor Thawne, Larris Breckett's shuttle is open to space. The oxygen levels will deplete upon opening the doors in the bridge. Temperatures are also falling rapidly."

“Odd..." Eobard shrugged. "Sounds like he left one of his doors ajar. Alright. Come on, Barry, just follow my lead. We’ll end this.”

"Here." Barry proffered him his breather. He already had his own on. "No oxygen, remember?"

"Ah, almost forgot," Eobard said and accepted it. He put it to his face. "Saving my life again, hero?" He joked.

"Aren't you even a little worried?"

Eobard said nothing, and assumed that was reply enough.

Larris's voice spoke over the communications channel between the shuttles. “Finally here? About time...but I am glad you came to your senses. It’d be a shame if your sister joined your parents, wouldn't it?”

“You know, Larris,” Eobard said, “it’s rather cowardly of you to attack my family."

“The point of revenge is to inflict upon you what you inflicted upon me. You attacked me by ripping away who I cared for most... I attack you in the same way. But I still want to end you, too, so I'm going to.”

The Reverse could have laughed at the irony of how similar his own words to the Flash had been. But he didn't. He went with, “let’s get this over with, then," instead. He saw the doors open. He moved forward, floating through the zero gravity, maneuvering to the other shuttle.

Larris stood near the opposite airlock. It was open, and he had a breather on. He held the unconscious Eisla beside him, and her face was also covered. Both wore the special heating suits kept in the shuttles in case of heat failure. Probably because the shuttle felt like a freezer on its lowest setting. “Easy there, Thawne," Larris said, "I’m a little jumpy, and I’ll send your sister into the black of space if you so much as make even a tiny move.” He gestured to the anchor tethering himself to the ship. Eisla did not have one.

"You really shouldn't have taken her from the hospital," Eobard growled. "Dragging her to zero gravity and all-" 

"I'm sure she'll be fine. As long as you behave, of course."

Eobard balanced himself against the wall, but was still. “So, tell me, old friend, what end do you see to this cute little confrontation?”

“I leave you in the cold of space to freeze and suffocate to death, and I return your sister and your friend to your shuttle and then to Earth. Seems fair enough to me. Or, you could do something stupid, and it gets all of you killed.”

Eobard chortled.

“You think that’s funny? You really are insane.”

“No, not that. The irony is really strong here. You really planned this out, didn’t you? You intend to kill me, here, above the Earth, like this is some kind of rightful, poetic justice. Like you're a wrath of karma, or a vengeful god. I admit, I see the humor in it."

"This is merely a precaution. You're dangerous. But yeah, maybe there was some poetic justice in it."

"You've hid as my _friend_ for years...so, who did I kill? Oh wait, I think I remember the name you said... Caroline, was it?”

“My fiance.”

“Ah...well, for what it’s worth...it wasn’t personal. Maybe you should blame Central City’s precious hero for not saving her like he was supposed to.”

“Really?” Barry asked.

“Maybe I should,” Larris replied, “but maybe I shouldn’t. Fact is, I blame _you_ , because _you_ did it. I don’t care about the Flash or anyone else. _You’re_ the reason the world lost her beautiful smile…”

Eobard sighed. “Is there _any_ way I can talk you down? What if I said sorry?”

“No, friend. There isn’t. Now, if you will kindly go out this door, here...and die...”

The Reverse Flash sighed. “Okay. Gideon, restore systems, life supports, and gravity."

“Overriding system commands,” came the AI’s voice.

“Artificial intelligence-?” Larris started. He froze, then thrust Eisla through the open door.

“NO!" Eobard roared. "Gideon, cease that order! Don't close the shuttle!” 

He moved to follow Eisla, but Larris reached out and seized him. The Reverse turned and hit him, though his blow's strength was diminished by the emptiness of zero gravity. From the corner of his eye as he struggled to free himself, he saw Barry grab one of the extra cables and launch himself after Eisla. _Get to her in time, Barry. I don't care if you were ever a hero or not, because you need to be one now._ Livid, Eobard turned on Larris and clawed at his breather. The other twisted back, and struck, but the blow was empty of any power. It was the same for Eobard's returning hit.

Fighting without superspeed or gravity really was irritating.

After an awkward scuffle, Eobard managed to pin the other against the wall, ending the fight. He trembled with rage. Eisla was out there, floating, unconscious, in the black of space. Someone would die for this, and that someone was Breckett.

“Well," Larris snapped, trying to push Eobard away without success, "now you know exactly how I feel… I only regret that you get to win. It's not fair, not after all the pain and suffering you've caused."

Eobard growled. “I will kill you Breckett.”

“Go ahead, then. Do it! You don't need gravity to kill me, Eobard, do you?”

"No. I don't."

“W-wait,” Barry’s voice said. “I h-have her. I...have E-Eisla.”

Eobard glanced back, seeing the Flash hauling the both of them up the cable and into the shuttle. He was shivering with the cold from space. Barry sat the woman down upon the floor with careful movements and curled his arms around his shaking frame.

Relief flooded Eobard. “Gideon, close the shuttle,” he said.

“Commands overridden. Returning gravity and life-support systems.” The door slid shut, and the air warmed.

Eobard glared at Larris.

“Well, you going to kill me, then?” Larris asked.

“Eobard,” Barry said. “Your sister is alive. She’s safe."

"Barry Allen," Larris muttered. "Your boyfriend is a killer, you know.."

"We aren't dating," Eobard snapped. "It was a front."

The vengeful man laughed. "Like everything else? You're just one big lie, Eo, huh? So, what, he's in on this murdering business, too?"

"No. He's been after me for awhile... He's just not fast enough to catch me..."

Barry spoke, "Eobard, we need to turn this man over to the authorities.”

“Why? So he can live in the relative comfort of a prison cell for a few years before being released as a rehabilitated citizen on _good_ behavior? He'll do this all over again.”

“It’s not about him. It’s about you.” The Flash sighed. “It’s why I don’t kill, why I don't give up my values... It’s always been more for my sake than theirs.”

“That worried about me, Flash?” Eobard still hadn’t looked away from Larris. “I’m already a murderer...what could change about me killing him?”

"The Flash," muttered Larris. "Makes sense, I suppose."

“It’s not worth it," Barry said and put a hand on his reverse's arm. “There's a better you in there somewhere, Eobard, someone you can be again… and I took that away from you…and I'm _sorry_.”

Eobard looked at Barry in astonishment. He'd never expected an apology. "What?"

“You wanted to be a hero, right? Before that was taken from you... It’s not too late. You don’t have to be a murderer, Eobard. Not every time. Whatever happened between us...you can still choose between right and wrong.”

The Reverse Flash looked at him, then back at this man who’d tried to kill his sister...had killed his family. "You certainly have a lot of faith, Barry, for someone like me."

He heard nothing but the shuttle’s engine whirring, and their upset breathing from the scuffle.

“Alright.” He dropped Larris. The killer of his family slumped to the ground, glaring up at them.

The Flash looked surprised.

Eobard said, “I’ll see you on the surface, Breckett.”

“This doesn’t change anything, Eobard,” Larris growled. “I will have my revenge, now I know that you are losing your edge. I _will_ kill you and your sister.”

“No, you won’t.” He turned to Barry. “Let’s go.” Eobard seized Eisla from the floor.

* * *

As their shuttle drifted away, Allen said, “I can’t believe you did that.”

“Because I didn’t do it.”

“What?”

A grin crept onto Eobard's face, and a rush of euphoria surged through him. This was far too perfect. “Gideon,” he said, “you're still in control of Larris's shuttle, yes? Set it on a crash-trajectory for Earth then disable its life supports. Make sure it hits somewhere remote. No point in collateral damage. Not this time.”

“Yes, Professor. Randomizing potential locations.”

Flash started. “What? No!”

“I knew you'd try to stop me,” Eobard said, picking at a small scuff on his sleeve. “This was simpler, and much more excruciating for my _friend_.”

“Gideon, don’t do it.”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Allen," the AI responded. "In instances of disagreement between you and Professor Thawne, my system directives will always prioritize Eobard Thawne’s requests over yours.”

“What? I _created_ you.”

"My defaults were modified by Professor Thawne. You do not have authority over my commands."

Eobard grinned. “I made some adjustments to her after I got to STAR Labs and you nearly locked her out the computers there.”

“Don’t do this,” Barry breathed, voice sharp, “Eobard.”

Larris’s shuttle roared past them, heading for Earth.

“Goodbye, bastard,” the Reverse Flash growled as the shuttle blazed into the atmosphere, gushing flames over its edges. “No one hurts my family and walks away. I do wish I could see the crash… It’s going to be beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. He blew up my parents, now I blow him up. _That_ is poetic.”

Barry stared after it, a frown etched across his face.

Eobard stretched his arms over his head, touching the top of the shuttle. “I feel great...and can’t wait to be on solid ground again. I'm starting to miss my superspeed. What about you?”

Allen said nothing.

“Oh, come on!” Reverse Flash exclaimed. “Loosen up, Barry. Do you have to be perfectly heroic _all_ the time!? That man deserved _everything_ he got! Don’t even deny it!”

The voice that responded was quiet. “He did what he did...because you turned him into a murderer...the same way I turned you into one...unintentionally, for both of us.... But...you...just killed him… Once you start the chain of revenge...where does it end?”

Eobard leaned forward, trying to catch his gaze. When he succeeded, he said, “don’t lose any sleep over it, Barry. It was my decision. Not yours. I told you before... I’m a monster. He was also a monster. And monsters kill because it makes us feel good. I guess we sometimes kill each other, too... Don’t forget it. You may be an egotistical jackass, but you _aren’t_ a monster, so you’ll never understand what happened here.... But you don’t have to. Leave it alone. It wasn’t your business in the first place.”

Allen, stubborn as always, said, “you don’t have to be a monster. It is a choice.”

“Yeah. I do. I made my choice. Larris also made his. It’s nothing you can control. Now, I’m bored, so let’s stop this pointless conversation.” He leaned back.

Barry fell mercifully silent.

Eobard clenched his fists, mood darkening.

_I just need to get back to the Earth. I need to run._


	21. Monster

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title of this chapter was inspired by the song Monster by Starset. Which is my song for Eobard (for this fic at least), with the message in the lyrics being directed at the Flash... If you have not heard that song, you should totally look it up. YOUR LIFE WILL NOT BE COMPLETE WITHOUT STARSET IN IT!!! (well, if you like that kind of music, anyway) Oh, and fair warning, on the off chance you do look that song up, don't watch any lyric vids on YouTube for it. Most, if not all, are wrong. Go to the band's official channel and read the lyrics in the description....  
> And, by the same band, are my pairing songs for Eobarry. Telepathic for Eobard's POV, and Starlight for Barry's POV...and they only make sense with an established relationship...
> 
> Aaaaand....I'm way too proud of this chapter, too. X-) Someone shoot me... Hope you guys like it!

Eobard had a major problem.

And this problem was a man, a _meta-hu-man_. He liked to dress in red and call himself the Flash, but he may as well have been the devil himself for how much he tormented Eobard. He was stuck in the Reverse's head like glue, that smile, those eyes, and nothing the monstrous man in yellow had done to break his hold on his thoughts had worked. He was being consumed by this new dynamic, and he was disgusted with himself, with how he was drowning in the ocean of differences between them. Every path he saw from this moment on was spiraling into chaos, out of control - and this realization brought on pure panic that threatened to consume him.

It was okay, though, he told himself. It was okay. _Okay, okay, okay._  He had a plan, and it was a beautiful plan.

He stood on top of one of the smaller skyscrapers, eyes on the city below. The lights, neon, natural, or solar reserves from the world below lit up the clouds above his head in bright colors. There was the hint of rain, pressure in the atmosphere from humidity. The smell of ozone left his hair standing on end, left him feeling charged. Vibrations hummed in his molecules. Excitement flowed in his veins, the thrill of the hunt. He called to the Speed Force again, feeling it breath life into his soul.

He felt the lull before the storm still him. He took a deep breath.

He exploded onto the streets, feeling the power in each stride he took, the wind and energy rushing past his face. The red lightning surrounded him, and the world was a standstill.

No one saw him coming. They were living statues in a frozen reality.

Racing by, he reached out.

_One..._

_Two..._

_Three..._

With a simple twist of his hands and a satisfying crack, they were dead. He grabbed one more, a fourth, slamming them against the wall. His hand sank into a warm heart. Blood, there was so much of it. He felt purified in how it flowed over his wrist and arm, splattering against his chest and face in thick rivulets. He felt _alive._ He dropped the body, turning himself. He could sense the raging Speed Force of another speedster, the unmistakable approach of his nemesis.

His opposite slid to a halt in front of him, boots scuffing on the pavement. "Thawne!"

_"Flash."_

"What is this?!"

_"Death, destruction...a cleansing,"_ Eobard replied, enjoying how his own voice rattled out of his throat with the deep tones of a fiend. He was a villain, the antagonist, the monster the Flash hated, the demon that had driven a knife through his mother's heart. He felt all of the pent up energy and anger in his foe, and he was eager to watch it burst forth like fire from hell. He wanted the red devil before him to be nothing but wrathful.

"You...you killed those people..."

_Accusing. Good. Angry. Better._

Eobard wanted everything he loathed in the Flash, the judgement, the righteousness, the goodness, so he could fight it. He wanted to spit on the very concepts that defined the other, to spite him. He wanted to oppose this hero. He wanted their war, and he wanted the pain and suffering that came with it.

_"Yes."_

"Why?!"

_"Because I needed to."_ _You want to make sense of this? Don’t. Attack me, instead._

"You _needed_ to?!"

Eobard's heart sang at the fury in the other's voice. It was so familiar, that it felt like a warm blanket on a cold day, reminiscent of a time when he wasn't lost, making mistakes, misreading his own mind.

He could go back to being Reverse Flash.

_"Really,"_ he said. _"What? Does that piss you off?"_ He grinned, baring all of his teeth like a feral wolf. He feinted.

Flash moved to follow, then stopped, realizing the ploy.

" _Good_ ," Eobard said. _"Catch me if you can."_ He spun and dashed away.

Even without looking, he knew his nemesis was in hot pursuit. His heart pounded, and his legs propelled him forward, the Speed Force thrumming through his veins. He sensed the blood about to spill, like the storm rolling in.

Thunder rumbled.

He twisted around, sliding back. He dug his feet in, feeling pavement rip apart. He leapt forward, eager for pain and chaos. The two speedsters collided in a thud followed by multiple punches. Eobard blocked, deflected, retaliated. Lightning raced against the sky, and also around the two speedsters, white, yellow, red. Reverse Flash blocked, then sliced with his fingers out. Flash vibrated, and Eobard's assault passed through him without injury.

In the span of a heartbeat, they were running miles away, side by side, throwing attacks, lightning and fists.

The Flash lunged into the man in yellow, crashing them through a window and into a building. Glass rained down on Eobard and he rolled across the ground. His torso struck the leg of a desk, busting it. He grimaced, leaping to his feet. The pain was building, but it fueled him. Allen arrived, leaping through the air, fist aimed at the Reverse's face. He phased, and the fist went through him. He darted around the Scarlet Speedster, solidifying and launching a volley of speed punches. Each successful one felt better than good. He knew the bruises he would leave. Flash twisted and cried out. He darted away, shifting back to Thawne in an instant.

A surge of chemicals flooded Eobard's brain. The world seemed to slow even more. Electricity poured from Barry's eyes, and flickered over his suit. He darted forward. A potted plant tipped in slow-motion. Eobard grabbed his foe's arm, stepping back. Flash tripped past him, but used the grip to swing around. Eobard felt the strike catch his side. The Reverse's next hit caught the Flash's chin. He tumbled back, thumping into a support column. Plaster exploded from it. Thawne rush in, his blood-stained fist driving up from a low swing. He felt a rib crack under his knuckles. His enemy gasped, jerking away. He broke into a run, shattering a window as he unceremoniously exited the building.

The world around Eobard returned to normal speed. The desk crashed into a heap from its broken leg. The potted plant shattered on the floor. Other objects teetered. People around him ran and screamed.

_"Where are you going?"_ Eobard growled at the broken window. Power and adrenaline gave way to sudden euphoria. He laughed. _“Run away, little Flash. I am better than you.”_

He chased, grabbing the edges of the window and launching himself through it. Outside, rain hit him, its cold seeping straight down to his bones. He hesitated, looking around. He spotted Barry dashing up the side of a nearby building. He hesitated, reevaluating the situation. It wasn't like the Flash to flee in the middle of a fight, and not with such minor injuries. It should have given him greater pause, but Eobard couldn't wait any longer. He'd gone too long without this part of his life. He snapped into pursuit. His body felt lighter than air, his feet pushing him forward, each step effortless.

Upon the rooftop, Barry stood, shoulders squared, fists clenched, facing him. His eyes glittered with electricity.

_"Aw, no surrender?"_ Eobard asked, raising his arms outward, mocking. " _What? You think I'm afraid of heights?"_

"No," came the short reply. Flash ran at him.

Eobard moved his arms to block.

He felt the other crash into him. Lightning crawled in the clouds above, blinding him for a moment. Disoriented, he could feel nothing but the punishing attacks upon his person. He was weightless, plummeting. Flash was above, launching strike after strike. Adrenaline drowned out the pain, but it took a precious moment to focus.

He fought back.

He realized gravity was lending strength to the Flash's strikes, while minimizing the damage of his own. He aimed for the other's shoulder in an attempt to flip them, but it failed. A strike to his chest resounded with a crack. He coughed. He smashed into the ground, the air erupting from his lungs and explosions of agony igniting throughout his body. No amount of adrenaline could dull it. He struggled to breath, choking against the ache constricting his lungs.

He looked to his left, to see his enemy lying there next to him, gasping.

Eobard struggled to move, but his body refused to respond. Allen flipped onto him. The Flash raised an arm and struck him.

Thawne flinched, feeling sharp pain erupt through his face to the sound of thunder. Blood ran down his cheek, warm against the cold rain. Another hit, and he tasted the metallic flavor of it when his lip split. He thrust the other away, staggering to his feet, trying to get his bearings. He looked at his foe to find a fist rushing for his eyes.

He caught it.

He lashed out with his hand. Flash smashed against the opposite wall. He pushed from it immediately, flying back into the fray, but Eobard was more than ready this time. He slowed himself, suffering a few speed punches. He gave a burst of unexpected strength, and unleashed his own attack. Flash howled and staggered back, feet slipping on the wet pavement. He fell, splashing into a puddle. Eobard ducked forward, grabbed the front of the Flash suit with one hand, and thrust his foe against the wall, snarling. Allen dangled, feet scrabbling for purchase on old bricks.

_"Feeling weak, Flash?"_ The monster taunted, heart racing. He saw red, his anger reaching its next level, all conscious thought sliding out of control. He would tear out this man’s heart, slowly, painfully, and watch him die, choking on blood.

He raised his free hand, and it vibrated.

Time Demon or not, he would win this war.

Flash hissed. His foot crashed into Eobard's stomach. Reverse Flash lost his grip and doubled over, wheezing. He looked up, meeting the other's gaze. He moved, but the attack was already there. Lightning struck him full in the chest, and he flew back hundreds of feet, slamming against a tree. The bark shattered, and Eobard slumped to the soaked grass, frozen, trying to remember how to breath. After several seconds, he managed to make it to his feet. His body shook, muscles burning. The sky illuminated with electricity again. He took a deep breath, his regeneration already quelling the pain. From the downpour, the Flash seemed to materialize, standing before him. They observed each other, glaring, defiant. Rain flowed down Barry's suit, and Eobard could see, in the late city lights, the water droplets glistening on the material. 

The image of Barry just out of the shower flickered across his mind. He found himself focusing on it. His hatred dampened, and another kind of intensity seized him. Eobard reached forward, gripping the Flash suit. Barry grasped at the hands locked on him. The Reverse dragged him in.

He smashed their lips together, impulsive, desirous. He tasted blood, his and the Flash’s. And through some unexpected twist of fate, the Flash melted against that kiss, yielding in a way Eobard had never experienced. No fight would make the other surrender. No pain, no torture, no manipulation would bring the hero to his level. Only _this_ would. If possible, the tension between them heightened, giving him a strange high like he'd never experienced.

Hands locked onto his shoulders, vises, and it sent a thrill down to his core. His arms twisted around Barry, drawing him as close as was humanly possible in that instant. He shook with longing, hands trembling as he tried to touch every inch he could reach of his mortal enemy. He wanted to feel their history, their tainted connection, their desperate lust - to feel the electricity and bruising force with which they gripped one another. Barry slammed him against the tree, pushing as though he could push straight into Eobard’s soul. Eobard pressed back, hooking his leg onto Barry’s. He crashed them both to the soaked ground. Both exhaled, grunting. Eobard didn’t waste a second reattaching their lips.

He trembled, the Speed Force slowing the world around them once again, and he knew Barry was with him. Electricity sparked across the Flash suit, and the Reverse gasped at the sensation, giddy and breathless. Red and gold lightning intermingled. Allen opened his eyes, and they were so beautiful, reflecting the light of their lightning and droplets of rain. Eobard reached up, and before he even knew why, in that still moment, he lay a hand upon the face before him. To Eobard, they were in that cell again, the two of them. The Flash, tense and full of electricity, the air, buzzing and uncertain, Reverse, watching and unable to take his eyes away. He experienced all the subtle and complicated emotions they shared, entwined as they were together, this moment taking over his self-control.

The Flash wasn't the devil. The Flash was an angel.

“Barry,” he murmured in longing.

He may as well have cursed.

The Flash stiffened. He shoved, breaking his reverse’s hold. He rolled over and staggered to his feet, panting. He wiped his mouth, his back to Eobard. He took a few slow steps forward and leaned against a metal fence, shoulders heaving. A lightning bolt illuminated the sky, and the ground shook with thunder. Eobard stood, paralyzed, watching, holding his breath.

The Flash moved. He faced Eobard.

His fists clenched. “What the hell are you doing?! What the hell are you _thinking_?”

“I did what I wanted. What _you_ wanted.”

“You’re insane. Completely insane. I’m ending this, now.”

The Flash leapt forward. Even though Thawne saw it coming, he didn't attempt to block it. He let the fist strike his skull. He let the darkness claim him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that was basically Eobard having a meltdown...but he DID get that kiss he wanted so badly, so...
> 
> WHADDYA THINK OF THAT TWIST?! B)


	22. Flashback

Eobard blinked open his eyes, squinting. He noted the familiar blue walls - the insides of a containment cell in STAR Lab's abandoned, ancient particle accelerator husk. Or, as it he recalled it being more affectionately known as - the pipeline. His head hurt. In fact, everything ached, but he knew it would fade soon enough. He shifted his body and dragged himself into a sitting position, grimacing.

It was then he noted the feeling of a stare fixed on him. He turned his head to the Flash.

Judgement smoldered in the hero's gaze like the remnants of a forest fire. He hadn't changed out of his friction-proof, red suit yet, and it was still glistening wet with rain water, mud, and blood.

Eobard knew he must not have been out for very long. He sighed. He looked around himself at the padded walls. "Ah, _deja vu_...being back here. Doesn’t look like these cells have changed much."

"They come in handy, from time to time...for holding _criminals_...like you..."

"You look...disappointed," Eobard said, leaning against the back of the cell. He exhaled, feeling exhausted. "Why is _that_ starting to feel familiar, too? You shouldn't expect anything more from me, Mr. Allen, than what I've already shown you."

"Appalled, I think is the word you're looking for... You killed those people tonight."

Eobard chuckled at his tone. "Here comes the expected lecture. You know it gets you absolutely _nowhere_ , yes?"

"You killed _innocents_...people who weren't looking for a fight. I can't just let that go."

"How do you know that they were innocents, really? Are you an all-seeing clairvoyant now? Have you ever considered that maybe they weren't that innocent?"

"Cold-blooded murder is never justified, Thawne - a concept you still can't get your head around, apparently." The Flash sighed, looking away. "Just when I thought you might have some humanity..."

Eobard chuckled again. "Oh, Barry. Humanity? Me? You seem to have confused me with someone else."

"Seems that way... I was an idiot."

"You are an idiot..."

For a minute, neither speedster said anything.

Eobard found himself staring at the wall to the left, now, away from the Scarlet Speedster. "You know, we're _both_ killers, Barry...you just aren't a monster about it..." He blinked, grimacing at this line of thought. "...Unintentionally, though. I mean, just how many lives were lost when you altered the timeline? Sure, you didn't end their lives up close and personal, but I know for a fact you've got just as much blood on your hands as I do on mine." He looked down at his stained gauntlets. "Well, maybe not _literally_ , at the moment."

"You altered the timeline first. My intention was to right it...but I couldn't..."

"Did I?" Eobard asked, meeting Allen's gaze. "How do I know you hadn't already messed it up well before I came along? Maybe I'm one of _your_ mistakes from screwing with the timeline, but you don't know it because that other you is gone now..." He laughed. "You know, this is the first time I've actually given that thought. Just how many timelines have occurred because of you and I? How long do you think we've really been screwing each other over? I wonder. Forever, now? It kind of feels like it, doesn't it? It wouldn't surprise me."

Barry leaned against the glass, seeming oblivious to the implications of what his Reverse was saying. "What's your point?"

"My point is," Eobard plowed on, "that you don't know _everything_ , Mr. Allen. You are _ignorant_."

Barry shook his head. "You don't even care. About the lives you took tonight, about the people who lost. Those lives you ended? They belonged to people who had friends, family, loved-ones. All who will suffer for the rest of their own lives for it."

Thunder rumbled outside.

"And for _what_?" Barry asked. "Why _did_ you do it? To piss me off? For some weird revenge for what happened to your family because murdering Larris just wasn't enough for you? For a sick need that psychopaths have that I still don't understand?"

"I don't have to explain myself to you."

"It'd be nice if you did, though... A long time ago, your particle accelerator gave me these powers," Barry said with a frown, as if his persistence might yet change Eobard's mind. "That night, several people died. Later, when one of the metas confronted you, you told him that you had to live each day knowing the world was deprived of their potential. Was that true? Was _any_ of it true? Or was that more of your manipulation?"

Eobard was always a bit impressed to be reminded that the Flash's memory was as good as his own. It was easy to think of his own intelligence as a mark of significance, a rarity that helped single him out from the rest of his rather unintelligent species. Then again, Barry wasn't much like the majority, either.

And as Barry glared at him, he was more than ready to slap a big grin across his face and say, "yes, Barry, it was all part of my manipulative plot to strengthen your trust in me. And you fell for it marvelously." But the response died away, seeming too forced, even now.

"I did mean it," came Eobard's actual reply. "By the way, if memory serves, I believe that was the first man _you_ killed, on accident...to defend _me_ , if I recall..."

"You never act like you meant it," Barry muttered, ignoring the last part of his reverse's statement.

"I don't sleep much, Barry, because of you - because of those whom I've murdered. As much as I enjoy killing, it has always been because of _you_. Every death I have ever caused, will cause, is because of what you did...what you made me become..."

"Right," Flash said. "I forgot. It's obvious you're still seeing the other Flash, from the other timeline, because _I_ didn't do those things to you."

"But you did!" Eobard almost yelled. The sudden silence that followed made him realize that he'd been too expressive. "There are some things that happen," he hurried on, covering his mistake, "that when they do, you know they are _destined_. I'm certain you felt it the moment you rushed into danger the first time and _knew_ you had to be a hero... That happened to me when I saw what you really were... What I really was."

Silence.

A rush of impatience filled the Reverse Flash. "Now let me out of here, Barry."

"Why would I do that? So you can kill again?"

"So I can help you."

"I'll let you out for the nexus, not before," Barry hissed, eyes flashing.

"Oh okay, but what if I said I was sorry?" Eobard responded with no small amount of sarcasm. "Would that soothe your wounded ego, precious? I'm really not looking forward to being locked up, _again_..." He sighed again at the stern look on the other's face. 

"This has nothing to do with how I'm feeling."

"It has _everything_ to do with it."

"People died tonight."

Eobard grinned, a defense, a reassurance for them both that he was no less a monster. "Yes, terrible. I know... But did you know, Barry, that there are nearly twelve billion human beings on this planet, right now, in this instant? And here you are, stressing over a minus four on that. Do you have any idea how many babies are being born this second?"

"What-"

" _Twelve. Billion. People._ A number that is still rising. A number that may continue to rise for thousands of years." Eobard's grin faded to nothing, mood darkening. "No, this _is_ all about _you_. Not them. _You_ don't care about them. Not any more than I do, anyway. To you, to me, they're statistics, a reassurance that the human race will continue.... What you _really_ care about is your wounded ego. You care because _you_ didn't save those four people tonight from _me_. Not that they _weren't_ saved. They could have wrecked their gliders, their cars could've exploded, or they may have been killed by some other unfortunate means, and you wouldn't be upset, _at all_... And that is why I will always be superior. I have on illusions of myself... I _am_ a monster."

"That is a _lot_ of assumptions, Thawne."

"Not really," Eobard returned.

Allen said nothing, just kept that irritating, judgemental expression fixed to his face.

"You know, Barry," Eobard said, steepling his fingers, "I really enjoyed that kiss, by the way. Though 'kiss' is...such a _poor_ word for what actually happened...isn't it?"

There was still no reply, though Eobard saw the expression finally change, shifting to a more alarmed appearance.

Eobard pressed on, "but I know you, Flash. You won't admit your lust for me - your villain, a criminal, a monster, a psychopath. That would be _very_ unheroic, wouldn't it? Couldn't risk tarnishing your shining white light, could we?"

Barry shook his head ever so slightly. He turned and began walking away.

Eobard felt anger seize him. He couldn't stop his next words that burst from him fury, "yes! Walk away from the truth, Flash! You’re incredibly good at it!"

Barry halted at the end of the access chamber. He looked over his shoulder. "Eobard. Out there. Tonight... It was a mistake. All of it. None of it should ever have happened. Let it go... It's all I can do..."

In a burst of electricity, he was gone.

Eobard fumed. Even if it was the answer he knew he would get, it didn't make it any less annoying. "Gideon," he said to the empty air, "let me out of here."

"I'm sorry, Professor Thawne," the AI replied, "Lead Crime Scene Forensics Expert Bartholomew Henry Allen has overwritten my commands from my operating system. I have no control over the door."

Eobard laughed at the reversed trick. Oh, how fitting it was. "It's not your fault, Gideon... Still, that was _fast_ , even for him." 

* * *

_Eobard_ _panted with exertion and_ _looked down at the still body under him. His eyes gradually focused on what he'd done, and he found himself staring at the broken face on the corpse. A mess of flesh, crimson, bone, and gray matter was all that remained. He uncurled his fists before him, feeling the sticky wet blood drenching them. He inhaled and jerked away, scrabbling at the pavement in need of balance. He somehow stumbled to his feet. A horrible sensation flowed through him. He rushed to the edge of the road and doubled over, retching hard into the grass, heaving. He stood there for several moments, gasping, trembling._

_"Fanboy," the deep voice behind him said._

_Eobard turned his head, seeing the gray-green gaze locked upon him. "Flash..." What could he say? How did someone_ accidently _kill? Because it'd just happened, and he couldn't even think straight now. "I-I didn't mean to..." He couldn't read the other's gaze on him. "I'm s-sorry. I..." He trailed off, at a complete loss as to what he should say or do._

_"I know you are sorry," Flash said. "You didn't mean to kill him, just as you didn't mean to cause the deaths of those hostages."_

_"I'm sorry..."  Eobard repeated, knowing he'd done more than simply mess up. How could sorry cover this? He felt himself gag at the images still fixed to his brain of the man that he'd...killed._

_He'd taken a life - the life of a_ _person._

_It didn't matter that said person he'd ended was also a murderer, a criminal - it was_ wrong _. How often had that been drilled into his head?_

_A murderer. It echoed in his brain, all of this truth's weight settling on him. He'd_ murdered _. Was this why he and Flash fought, because he was supposed to go to prison for this kind of thing? Would he resist?_

_The Scarlet Speedster's words surprised him. "I forgive you, Eobard..." He narrowed his eyes. "But you have to do something for me."_

_"What?"_

_"Stop."_

_"Stop?" Eobard echoed, uncertain._

_"Stop trying to be a hero," Flash replied. "I offered to give you a chance, and I did. In fact, I gave you several... I was testing you. You failed. You aren't cut out for this work. Few are... Go home and live your life as normally as possible. You weren't meant for this, that much is clear to me."_

_"What?" Eobard felt horror fill him, felt the helplessness that came crashing in behind it. "I...I...I..." he reached for something, anything, "I will make it up to you... I didn't want to kill him...I was just so angry...I - it won't happen again..."_

_"It won't?"_

_Eobard barely heard. "I will work harder, train more, become stronger, faster, smarter. I can do this!"_

_"When? It has been five months, and you still act like a child with a temper, and you can barely control your powers."_

_His voice was not unkind, though, but Eobard couldn't feel any of the sympathy there. All he knew was..._

_"You're throwing me away?! After every-"_

_"What did I tell you about getting attached? I warned you well enough that I would drop you if it became necessary. It is now necessary, before more damage is done."_

_"I...how could I not become attached?!" Eobard yelled, straightening himself. "How could I not..." he hesitated, then pushed his next words out, "...love you?"_

_"No," the Flash responded, cold. "You just think you do. You are infatuated with an ideal that does not exist. It never did. I warned you, Fanboy...and now I must let you go. It is better this way."_

_"No, you can't! You have to give me another chance!"_

_Flash spun on his heel, striding away. "I said you're through," he called back. "And if you try to pursue me, I will lock you away until you give it up. Go home, Thawne." In a maelstrom of golden lightning, he was gone._

_Eobard felt like his heart had been ripped from his chest. He sank to the pavement, gazing at the empty place where his hero had just stood and given up on him._

Eobard could still see that night in his mind with perfect clarity. No matter what he did, no matter how many years passed, he would never forget the day he had been broken. But more than that, it was the day he'd forced himself to get back up from where he'd fallen, to keep going, to find a purpose beyond his original dreams. It was the day he had found himself as he was supposed to be - as the Reverse of the Flash.

He mulled it over, wondering why the memory of it kept coming back to him now, of all times. It wasn't like he wished to dwell on it. Perhaps this entire situation had reminded him of it, what with the Flash turning away, walking out, giving up on him....

It wasn't fair. The Flash had never struggled in the ways he had, had never understood his point of view. He hadn't clawed his way through the mess of a dead-end, passionless life of empty careers, pointless status, and sleepless nights wondering how he could have meaning, how he could become _more_. The Flash was _already more_. He was power incarnate, fearless, free, proud...majestic, even, like an eagle dressed in red, always able to soar above everyone with flawless precision. He had always had everything, being the god of Central City. Eobard may have gained his speed, but it had just thrust him into the icon's shadow and somehow made him even more insignificant than he'd already been.

At least, that's how Eobard _had_ seen him, until that time he'd met twenty-six year old Barry Allen in the past and seen the flaws in him, the vulnerability, the selfishness, the sometimes-childish desires, the secrets

The humanity. He'd learned the Flash was no god or hero. He was a man.

But none of that changed this new desire for Barry. He wanted him in a way few had ever had him.

_And how close I came…_

It was branded across his mind, the storm, the Flash locked onto him, exhilaration and ecstasy and euphoria all burning through his body with the Speed Force surrounding them.

_Why_ _is Allen such a stubborn mule about everything? It's blindingly obvious that he has feelings too. He reciprocated out there... I may question why we feel this way, but it doesn't change the fact that we do._

The noise of superspeed reached him. He looked up. Barry stood outside the glass of the cell.

"I wondered when you'd be back," Eobard said with a chuckle. "Admit it, you missed me."

Allen, however, was apparently not in a joking mood. "I have an offer, Thawne," he announced, folding his arms in a no-nonsense manner. "You promise specifically not to kill anyone else, and I'll let you out. And if you do kill anyone else, I'll lock you up in here...forever, Time Demon or not. And if that thing gets me, you're screwed, trapped like this..."

Eobard pushed to his feet, facing his nemesis. "You only caught me last time because I was distracted. How will you lock me up again if I step out of line?"

"If you doubt I'll find a way, then say so now. I _dare_ you."

Eobard was annoyed with the way he felt himself wanting to rise to such a challenge. He met the fiery gaze, but conceded. "I suppose you would, _hero_."

"Well? Do we have a deal?"

"Deal," Eobard said, not hesitating. "I won't kill anyone else...at least, not until the Time Demon is dealt with. Then I'm killing _you_."

"Yeah," Flash replied, walking over to the console. He pressed it. "We'll see about that." The doors to the cell opened.

Reverse Flash strolled out of the box.

"After all," Barry continued, voice sardonic, "what would you be if I was gone? Reverse _No-On?_ "

"I'd be the winner of our war, of course." Eobard traipsed down the chamber towards the hallway beyond. _I can't believe you're trusting me, Barry... Again. Idiot._


	23. We Should Talk

Barry opened his eyes, seeing the stars spanning the heavens above him. The Reverse Flash stood there just in his line of vision, looking straight at him, silent. Glowing red eyes bored into his soul.

"What are you doing here?" Barry asked, dread building in his gut. Somehow, he knew the answer to his question. He found he couldn't move.

_"I haven't been able to sleep, Flash,"_ his reverse returned, voice distorted. Eobard lowered himself to the ground beside Barry, close enough to touch, laying on his back in the grass. The glow faded from his eyes as he fixed on the night sky. "And I don't think you sleep so well, either."

Barry felt uncertainty rise in him, but he didn't move. "I don't think we should be here like this..."

"You think too much," Eobard murmured, leaning over without warning, an arm crossing Barry's chest. He lowered his face a few inches.

The Flash felt the warmth of a breath of air on his skin, the other's lips so close to his.

"This isn't right," Barry insisted. "We hate each other."

"Yes, I know... But this world isn't exactly right, either. Things happen every day that no one expects or wants. Complicated... But wouldn't this life be so  _dull_ if everything was simple...expected...predictable?" A hand slid down Barry's side, stopping at his waist. The Flash shivered at the touch, heart beating faster, a feeling like fear filling his chest, intense but not undesirable. His breath hitched. The Reverse Flash was over him, leaning on one arm, the other on his midsection. "So. Are we going to talk about us?" He asked the question as if he'd already waited a thousand years for an answer.

"Us..." Barry's voice was constricted.

"Us," Eobard echoed.

"I...don't know what there is to say.”

The touch moved lower, tracing his thigh. Barry lay, frozen like a deer in headlights, uncertain. He didn't know if he should resist, or just ignore it.

"You know what?" Eobard asked, sounding amused, "I agree."

The hand curled, fingers digging into him, and the Flash groaned at the sensation of pleasure that ran through him. He wanted to speak, but couldn't - because after everything, he felt all the desire rising inside, all the want, all the need.

"Maybe I do think too much," he breathed, reaching out to Thawne with abrupt abandon.

His reverse laughed, then slammed their lips together.

* * *

Barry jerked upward, gasping like a drowning man brought to air. He found himself tangled in the bed sheets, palms, back, and forehead sweaty. It was far too warm; it was stifling hot. Heart pounding, suffocating, he fought against the sheets, untangling himself one by one. He stood and stumbled from the bed, tapping the lights to illuminate the room, his hands quivering with adrenaline and Speed Force. He looked around, peering into all the shadowed corners and spaces, half expecting the Reverse Flash to be there, grinning, eyes glowing red.

He was alone. He inhaled, relief flooding him. He ran a hand through his hair.

Steadying himself, he moved across the room and dropped into the relative comfort of an armchair. He had no intentions of returning to sleep like this, not when his dreams had betrayed him in a way he could not accept...not again. He turned to a book he'd been neglecting for awhile, projecting its pages from the holoblock in his hand, letting its thoughts fill his head.

Because he didn't want to know why the dreams happened or what they meant.

He didn't want to know.

He _didn't._

* * *

Barry marched into the cortex, throwing himself into the chair at the first desk laden with terminals. He had every intention of putting every recent, weird thing that had happened between himself and the Reverse Flash behind him. There would soon be no more dreams, no more odd feelings, no more thoughts of...Eobard Thawne. After the nexus, this would all go away. He just had to put up with this strange form of torture his brain had concocted until then. And maybe, just maybe, Eobard would be late this morning, to put off further irritation for awhile longer.

Anything was possibly, really.

But as fate would have it, the unwanted speedster strolled into the room as soon as the thought ended, saying, "you forgot coffee."

Barry gritted his teeth because he realized the other was right, but he was not going to let on to that minor blunder now. "I decided to forgo it."

"That's surprising..." Eobard seemed distracted, though. He hesitated for a moment, as if weighing a decision, then said, "actually, I think we should talk." He took a sip from the mug he held.

"About...?" Barry asked, trying not to remember his own dream, how uncanny and similar Eobard's statement was to words spoken within. He ground his teeth even more, struggling to stifle the inner turmoil before it made itself known to the other speedster. It didn't help that he was now _aware_ of the lack of coffee, and how he'd cut off any chance of correcting that mistake.

"About what happened the other night." Eobard seated himself on the other side of the room. The distance between them was perfect for Barry.

He frowned at Thawne. "As far as I can tell, there's no words that'll resolve what happened. You killed people. There's nothing to talk about, because it never sinks in...for...you..." he trailed off at the sudden look of disinterest on the other's face.

Eobard sat his mug gently on the desk in front of him, materializing a ball from his pocket with the same motion. He begin to throw it up into the air and catching it in turn. "That's not what I meant," Eobard said and looked away from the small object holding his interest - straight at Barry.

Uncomfortable, Barry shifted, looking away from the intent stare.

Thawne chuckled. "You knew what I meant, didn't you?"

Barry couldn't form a single word in response. God, all of about five minutes had barely gone by, and Eobard already _knew_... It was ridiculous. This shouldn't have even been happening in the first place...

"It scares you, doesn't it?" Eobard asked. Barry, from the corner of his eye, saw the ball hit the ground, saw Thawne lean forward in his seat with interest, as if studying a lab specimen under a microscope. "Well, that's something. That must mean that it really did affect you... _a lot_..."

"There's no reason to talk about it," Barry forced out, struggling to sound nonchalant. "Like I said - it was a mistake. An accident."

"Accident, huh?" Eobard replied. He sped over to where the ball had rolled and seized it. He straightened himself and leaned against the wall there. "What, you mean like protecting me whenever you get the chance? Are those _accidents,_ too?"

The Flash stiffened.

Eobard shook his head. "You're being not-that-surprisingly dense, right now."

Barry inhaled, forcing himself to meet the victorious gaze. "Alright, Thawne, what are you trying to get me to say, exactly?"

"That you enjoyed that kiss," Eobard said without missing a beat. "That you wanted it. That you want _more._ Admit it - you like me in that way."

"So you want me to lie? You caught me off guard. That's the end of it. Stop reading more into this than what's there."

"Uh-huh," Thawne replied, disbelief in his tone. "You took up your end rather well, is how I remember it."

"Your memory is foggy," Barry replied, determined to stop this before it went too far. His dreams were haunting, fresh in his thoughts, and he knew now with sudden clarity why they kept happening. They were a warning, one he'd be an idiot to not heed. "You're just playing your mind games again. Besides, I have no interest in murdering psychopaths, especially one who wants to murder _me_."

"I think you do, considering how much you hang around us criminals."

“ _Excuse me_?"

"Yeah, you get off on that, right? On being the hero, locking us miscreants away, saving lives... You spend far more time with criminals and monsters than you do with other people who would be considered good, to you. Why is that, exactly?" He shifted, languid. "I think it's the danger, the rush of adrenaline. You find it _fun."_ Somehow, he made _fun_ sound like a sinful word.

Barry, annoyed, knew this conversation was getting out of hand. "Just what do you get out of trying to make me confess something you _know_ is _not_ true?" Perhaps if his words were forceful enough...

But Thawne just wouldn't give up. "Oh, I don't know...maybe a confession on something that I do know _is_ true."

Barry threw his head back on the chair's headrest, antagonized. He rubbed his eyes. "No, this is more manipulation. There is no way I'm having this conversation, Thawne. Not here, not now, not with _you_."

" _Fine_ ," Eobard returned, sounding like it were anything but fine. "Deny it, Flash. You're good at being biased and blind. You won't admit anything that doesn't align with your perfect sense of morality, right? Even when you blithely ignore your own sickening code." A few seconds managed to tick by before he persisted once more. He pushed from the wall, approaching Barry. “But, really, you do know the _truth_ , don’t you? It doesn't matter how much you may dislike it, because it is _fact._ And you can't escape reality, not in any meaningful way, at least.”

He reached Barry, and the Flash felt the thrill of a plethora of sensations rushing through him. He pushed to a standing position, unable to tolerate the almost predatory gaze above him.

“Why,” Eobard asked, “is this truth such a big problem for you, anyway?”

Barry wanted to back away, but the desk was there. The temptation to phase through it was growing - anything to get away from the killer before him. But that was even more ridiculous than this entire situation. Instead, he forced himself to answer in defiance, “even if you’re right, Thawne, it doesn’t change the fact that there’s no way I’d ever be with you like that.” He shook his head with as much firmness and finality as he could manage. “I told you to let it go. _Let it go..._ ”

“Now we’re getting somewhere,” Eobard said, a faint grin tugging at his lips, and Barry had no idea why he sounded so triumphant.

“What are you talking about? I just sai-”

“Getting you to admit the feelings is a start.”

“I never said anything of the sort!”

“You said ‘if I was right', meaning you contemplated the possibility. And really, that’s enough for me.” Thawne leaned forward, invading his space. “Because I know that _you know_ the truth. Come on, _Flash_ ,” he said, voice husky, “there’s really nothing wrong with desiring me.” He smiled. "After all, I am of a genius intellect, handsome, and - in the right circumstances - charming. Very desirable."

“Really?” Barry asked, tone cold. He ignored that last part. “There's _nothing_ wrong with desiring you? Not one thing? Hell, where do I even start? Oh, how about the fact that you’re a manipulative, psycho killer and stalker, and you hate me, and we’re-”

“Enemies? Rivals? Nemeses? Reverses?” Eobard helped. “True, but there’s a reason lust and hatred are often tied together.”

Barry stared at him, incredulous. “Unbelievable." It was the only word that he could think of that even began to sum any of this up. He shook his head again, more furiously this time. "You are - you of all people should know that _I'm_ not like that."

"Aren't you?"

He realized then that he was leaning back just a bit, legs against the desk, and both of Eobard’s arms were on either side of him, braced on that _same_ desk, the proximity almost pinning him to the array of terminals there. He took in the look on the other’s face, and fight-or-flight kicked in.

He shoved the Reverse back. “Get _away_ from me.”

Eobard raised his hands, his next words placating. “Sheesh, Flash, so jumpy...and stuck in your ways. It must be a twenty-first century thing.” He scowled.

Barry’s holoblock pinged. "Thank God," he muttered, grabbing it. He looked at the projected screen. "A hostage situation just came up."

Eobard sighed and returned to his chair. "Better watch out for pre-rigged guns. It's the whole reason we're enemies, now... well, one of the reasons. Not the _whole_ one."

Barry was in his friction-proof suit in a split second. He paused, glancing at Thawne, still seated and looking bored. "You aren't coming?"

"It's a _hostage situation,_ Barry, meaning lots of law enforcement present. I think I'll sit this one out. Cops are inconvenient." Eobard clicked the holoscreen on the wall. "And, if my suspicions are correct...my accompanying you now might just let the world know we're getting along at the moment. While that'd be far more detrimental for you than me, I still don't find any appeal in it."

The news was fixed on the criminal and his hostage. A man stood in the middle of a street that had been blocked off with police vehicles. He was yelling at the cops to "come no closer, or the boy gets it," his laser pointing at said boy.

Eobard was right. If he accompanied the Flash now, it'd let everyone know they _were_ definitely working together. Flash wasn't exactly thrilled by that prospect, either.

The anchor-bot spoke into a drone camera that fixed upon the perpetrator. "There appears to be a hostage situation on Wire road, in which a man - identity unknown - is demanding to meet with the Flash in exchange for the life of this child - who is also unidentified. The police have surrounded him, trying to negotiate with his demands...but no progress has been made. And we wonder - will the Scarlet Speedster meet with this criminal, as demanded? We can only wait and see what becomes of this dire situation. There are reports that S.W.A.T. may have been called, too, though it is unconfirmed."

"Fine." Barry clenched his jaw, still annoyed at Eobard. "I won't be long. Be good while I'm away - as in, no _killing anyone_."

"Don't die out there," Eobard replied, amusement in his words.

Barry sped off.

* * *

Barry raced past the police cars and gliders, sliding to a halt in the street with practiced ease. His eyes locked onto the captor. He had a dark ski mask and was wearing a black, imitation-leather jacket. Navy jeans and boots completed the almost-laughably-stereotypical criminal attire.

Flash raised a hand in a neutral gesture. "Alright, dude, I'm here. Let the kid go."

The assailant lowered his gun, seeming pleased. "Just as predicted," he said. "As I'd heard - your response time _is_ incredible."

Flash raised his hands outward, as if to say, _you think?_ "Well, that is kinda the point of being a speedster. Now, are you going to let the kid go and tell me what you really want? Or do we have to do this the hard way?"

"Easy way is fine," the kidnapper said. With his free hand, he pushed the boy away. He dropped the laser gun to the asphalt. He pulled off his mask, tossing it aside, eyes glittering. He raised his hands in surrender.

Barry heard the police beginning to shout orders to each other, their steady footsteps coming across the pavement now that the boy was in no more danger.

The kid ran towards Barry.

"It's alright," the hero said to him. "You were awesome. Now go to the police. They'll help you get back to your family."

“Yes, Flash," the kid said, eyes wide and full of wonder. "Thank you for saving me.” The boy nodded, hurrying past him to the cops.

Barry stared after him, a strange sensation falling over him. Eobard had claimed the Flash had saved his life once, in their original timeline - had claimed that that had begun his obsession...and indirectly turned him to the path of hateful vengeance he now walked. Or _ran_ , as it were. It bothered Barry how something so well-meaning had gone so terribly wrong, and it was _still_ hurting people. He shook his head, clearing the those thoughts away. Thawne was the last person he wanted to think about right now, and there was nothing he could do about it yet.

"Really," the criminal was saying, pulling the speedster from his thoughts, "I just wanted to meet you, Flash. I'm a big fan, you know..."

Barry turned his attention to him. "Couldn't wait for Flash day, huh? There would have been way less legal fees and prison time."

"Even if I had, I doubt I would have gotten to speak to you personally. Do you know how many people show to that thing?"

"So, you couldn't have at least thought of a less serious crime...like robbery?" Barry asked, walking forward. There was no need to be speedy here. After all, he had little desire to return to STAR Labs sooner than necessary, knowing who was waiting there...

"I was afraid you wouldn't show unless it was severe... Yep," the man said, "...totally worth it."

Barry rolled his eyes. "I'll send you an autograph."

He felt a sharp pain hit his neck, like a bug biting him. He paused, reaching up. A dart? He felt nothing there. With a shrug, he moved forward. _Even superheroes get bit by insects._

The world swayed, dimming. He paused, blinking, feeling confused. He put a hand to his eyes, rubbing them. What was happening? Why was the street tinted with extra shadows? And why was there two of everything?

"Problems?" asked the man, seeming to notice the change. “Oh, almost forgot - an old friend of yours, Darkstar, wanted me to say hello for him...and _goodbye_.”

Barry had enough time to be alarmed before he tripped, falling forward. He hit the ground, pain racing through him. He stared at the ground underhand for a moment, before the world around him faded to nothing.

* * *

Eobard leaned back in his chair, kicking his feet up onto the desk, tossing the ball again.

The screen began speaking. "It appears that the Scarlet Speedster has answered the demands of the criminal, and true to his word, the perpetrator has let the child go..."

A pause.

Eobard didn't know why, but after a few moments, he looked to the screen.

He saw Barry collapse.

His heart stopped.

The bot's tone changed to mimic surprise. "The Flash has gone down! Please stand by while-"

Eobard saw the cops rushing in, shouting, guns flashing in the sunlight.

He leapt from his chair, the ring threatening to fly off his finger in his haste to get his suit. Donned as Reverse Flash, he summoned the Speed Force in his veins and raced through the door, heart pounding against his ribs.


	24. Heartbeat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh, last night's episode gave me so many feelings (not really any spoilers here in this note, so don't worry). I just...agh! I died at that beautiful Flash suit in the future. But damn, future Barry needs to see a barber right away, like that hair, yo! I hope we get that future suit on season 4. But mostly, I was so fricking pissed that we still don't know who the frack Savitar is.
> 
> On that note, do you think a speedster's hair grows faster??? XD Sorry, just derping on this end.
> 
> Anyway...enjoy the new chapter. ;)

The world froze in superspeed around Eobard. He rushed past the police line to Barry and knelt beside him. Dark emotion flooded his chest as he took in the situation. Foamy saliva leaked from Allen's mouth, and his skin was very pale, almost white.

“Gideon, use the Flash suit telemetry to check for a pulse.” He was glad Gideon's incredible processing speeds allowed her to keep up with him in superspeed.

A pause.

“There is none, Professor.”

Eobard's heart stuttered. “Check again,” he replied, voice hoarse.

“There is none.”

“Check _again_!”

“I'm sorry, Professor, but the Flash has gone into cardiac arrest.”

Eobard realized this wasn't helping anything. He raised his hands. They vibrated, generating electricity. He slammed them to Barry’s chest. The Flash’s body seized from the energy, but remained inert afterward.

_No no no...you can't die now... Not after all the times that you didn't, when you should've... It's impossible..._

He drew a deep breath, steadying himself. _What are you, twelve?_ He snapped at himself. He had to think. He had to fix this, and to do that, he had to get to the root of the problem. Something was inhibiting the Scarlet Speedster's regeneration, and he knew just how to figure out what. He turned his head, looking to the cops frozen mid-stride around him. He then fixed on the criminal whose lips were twisted in a smug smile, his arms folded. He rushed to the man, slamming him against a nearby police glider. Time sped up. The glider smashed into the ground from the excessive force, cracks running through it. The cops jumped, backing away, raising their guns to point at him.

“Reverse Flash?!” One of them shouted in horrified recognition.

“I thought he was a myth?!”

“A myth? Idiot, he's right in front of us!”

_"Don't touch the Flash,"_   Eobard growled, _"or you all die."_

The officers that'd almost reached the body of the Scarlet Speedster froze, uncertain.

"Back away," called the obvious captain of them, "it's Reverse Flash."

"But sir-!"

"I'm not risking my officer's lives for one reckless vigilante!"

"But it's _the goddamn Flash_!"

More shouting and arguing occurred, then one particular call reached Eobard's ears, "Freeze, Reverse Flash!"

" _Just try it, officer_ ," Eobard snarled back. _"How early do you want to go to the grave?"_

"Hold your fire, damn it!" The captain yelled at the man. "All of you, shut up!"

Silence descended.

Eobard turned his gaze to the criminal. " _What happened to the Flash?"_

"I have no idea," the man said, but his pleased tone told Eobard what a blatant lie that was.

Anger seized him. Eobard moved, probably as a blur to the criminal. He savored the way he broke every finger on both of his captive's hands in an instant. The man screamed.

" _Lie again, I_ dare _you_ ," he snarled, vengeance flooding him. He raised a fist in warning.

The officer yelled again, gun aimed on him, "Release him, Reverse Flash!"

"Why...do...you...care...?" the criminal panted in agony. Eobard was gratified the smug look was gone. "I thought... you...were...his...enemy... I...did...you...a...favor,"

" _Answer me_!" roared Thawne. He punched the other, then pulled him forward just to slam him back against the vehicle. The criminal gave a pathetic, strangled yowl. The Reverse had just enough self-control left to remember not to knock the other out. " _Answer me,_ _or I will break all the bones you have left...slowly, this time..."_

"Alright...alright! Poison. Injected...as...a...high-speed...projectile...from a...high-powered gun."

" _What kind of poison_?"

"A rapid...cellular degeneration compound with...a sodium chlorate formula... Undiluted..." His face was red with agony.

Reverse Flash realized what this must look like - like he was helping his enemy. He glanced around, then raised his voice, " _no one will have the pleasure of killing the Flash but me_!"

That should cover his tracks.

He grabbed the criminal's neck, raising him from the ground. He choked. Eobard wanted to pulverize this incompetent idiot.

"Let him go!" The officer yelled. "Or we will open fire!"

Eobard clenched his jaw, looking to the officer. " _As you wish_ ," he replied. He twisted his hands at the speed of sound. With a thunderous crack, the offender's head tilted at an odd angle. In the space of a heartbeat, he hit the ground, already dead.

"Fire!" A cop yelled. The effect was immediate. The distinctive clicks of multiple triggers being pulled reached Eobard's ears.

He clenched his fist as the world slowed once more. _T_ _hey never learn. You can't hit a speedster with a bullet, idiots!_ He wanted to kill them all, for simply being there, for opposing him, but he didn't want to waste more time. Eobard dashed through them, knocking two officers off their feet and seizing Barry. He sped back to STAR Labs.

* * *

 Eobard threw the Flash onto the old hospital bed in the medical bay that he'd once been incapacitated on not too long ago, himself.

“Gideon, check for a pulse.”

“Pulse detected." Relief flooded Eobard. His hasty defibrillation must have worked. "Heartrate weak," Gideon continued. "100 BPMs, Professor.”

Too slow for a speedster. He took a deep breath, running a hand through his hair. _Get it together._ “Gideon. Analyze the poison… Can we synthesize an antidote here?” He held his breath.

“Professor Thawne, I have a match of that poison here in the STAR Laboratory database. It's known as Velocity-6; in a highly-concentrated form, it is very lethal. There is an antidote located in the antidote vault. It’s on the next floor down, in the east wing.”

“Finally, some common sense, Allen,” he muttered to the unconscious man. 

He was a little surprised that this was something Barry already knew about, but he didn't want to waste time thinking of how or why. He could ask later. He flew to the designated area, phasing through the security wall with relative ease. He opened the marked drawer, dragging out the bottle he needed. He flew back to Barry's side, needle in hand. He injected the antidote into the Flash. He forced himself to stand still and let his perception of time return to normal once more while he counted the seconds. _One...two...three..._ all the way to ten.

“Gideon, check for a pulse.”

“Pulse detected. 190 BPMs and rising.”

“Tell me when it reaches 250.”

“Yes, Professor.”

He sighed, dropping into a nearby seat. "How have you survived all these years, by yourself?" He asked the unconscious form. "Damn it, Allen, putting me in a position like that..." A part of him wanted to scream in frustration, the other wanted to sink back and relax in relief.

He realized there was an electronic voice chatting in the cortex.

"Gideon, close the holoscreen."

The artificial talking vanished.

_I couldn't let the Flash go,_ Eobard realized. He couldn't let him die. He would have attributed it to the Time Demon, but he knew that was a lie he'd been telling himself as much as he'd been telling the Flash. And one the Flash had been telling him. The Time Demon threat didn't make his heart pound like that; the idea Barry would die had.  _Maybe I need him. And...maybe he needs me...in a way... He is obviously unwilling to let_ me _die... All those times, imagining how I would murder him, and now...now I_ know, _without a doubt, I cannot… Not now, at least..._

The way his heart had felt ready to burst with panic. The way he had felt the need for fiery retribution consume him. The way it had been _so_ much more satisfying to kill that criminal than any murder he'd committed in quite some time - well, save for Larris Breckett. The way he'd wasted not even a fraction of a second to ensure Barry survived. It all could only mean one thing...

_The universe hates me._

_I don't grow attached to my worst enemies._

_Yet, here I am._

Gideon's voice interrupted his thoughts. “Flash resting heart rate: 250 BPMs. Vitals stable. I estimate full consciousness in half an hour."

“Thank you, Gideon.”

He stood and crossed over to the motionless speedster. Thoughtful, he gazed down at the other. He hesitated.

_Why the hell not?_

He leaned down and brushed his lips across Barry’s with feathery gentleness, as if he might accidently awaken the other. It was a ridiculous notion. Allen wouldn't be awake for a while. And technically, he knew it was a non-consensual kiss, but what Barry didn't know wouldn't hurt him. He nibbled a little, enjoying the softness there. He just wished the other was awake and reciprocating, because there was no other feeling in the world quite like that.

Except maybe running at superspeed.

He closed his eyes.

As if Barry would ever return his kiss again. Miracles didn't happen twice. They barely happened at all. But it didn’t stop him from hoping. In fact, he _couldn't_ stop hoping; he didn't want to.

He forced open his eyelids, breaking the reverie. He took a moment to admire the handsome, angular face. Barry _was_ majestic. He shifted up and leaned his head to the other’s hair, inhaling his scent. Barry smelt like a lightning storm in the woods, fresh and delicious and dangerous. He dipped his neck down, already feeling addicted to this close proximity and wanting to bask in the feeling of it for as long as possible. What he wouldn’t give for the other to be less uptight over the entire situation.

“God, Allen,” Eobard murmured, pressing his lips to his ear, as if to tell a secret. Might even the unconscious Barry hear him, somehow, someway? Might it plant a bit more desire into his subconscious - make him more likely to give in to whatever this was they felt, be it simple lust, or maybe more? “You have no idea how much I want you..." He bit at the earlobe, wondering if the other would ever let him do this while he was awake. Eobard thought of _how_ many _different_ ways he could unravel this man if only he'd let him.

Realizing himself, he pulled back and returned to his seat. There was the faint heat of embarrassment rising in his neck and face from his rather teenaged behavior.

“Gideon, you will never tell anyone what just happened.”

“My virtual lips are sealed, Professor.”

Then, he remembered that Gideon had been hacked by Barry last. He stood, and decided that should change.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, and if you're enjoying my headcanons, I wrote a headcanon fic, for those interested. It's called Vengeance, and I have no idea how to insert links here, so if you're interested you can just go to my profile to find it. :) It's a one-shot of snippets into Eobard's backstory.


	25. To Fear or Not

Barry opened his eyes and started to push up. He stopped, sharp pain lancing through his skull, muscles burning. He dropped back, taking a moment to gather himself. "That didn't feel good," he muttered, rubbing first his temples, then his eyes. It felt like a horse had kicked his head in after he'd been stretched in some kind of medieval torture device. But the pain _was_ receding, so that was a plus. Once the agony had faded to a few dull aches here and there, he looked around the medical bay in STAR Labs. His attention landed on Thawne. Surprise flitted through him. "What...happened?"

"You got poisoned.”

"What? How?"

"High-velocity injection," Eobard responded with what sounded like agitation, “from a high-powered weapon. Probably illegal. The liquid poison was the bullet."

"Right.” The scene on the street came back to him - the smug criminal, the prick of pain in his neck. “It went straight through the suit… That’s the first time someone’s used liquid against me like _that_..." He sat up with carefulness, breaking eye-contact with Thawne and dropping his legs off the bed to dangle. Thanks to superspeed regeneration, the lingering discomforts were almost all gone.

“The poison was Velocity-6. Do you know it? It’s in your database..."

"Ugh," Barry replied in disgust, annoyance rising. "I never wanted to think of Velocity again… It's a Speed Force drug - and in certain forms, a deadly one. But, as far as I'm aware, nobody else has ever came up with that formula until now. And who would have thought it’d be Darkstar, of all people? You know, the last person who developed it wasn't even trying to make a poison."

“Wait a second. Did you say Darkstar?”

“Yeah. Before I fell unconscious, I heard the criminal mention his name. He’s definitely smart if he was able to develop a poison just for me.”

“Well, we need to take care of that assassin. He’s becoming a problem.”

“Yes, but we _aren’t_ killing him,” Barry said, stern.

There was a vexed sigh. “Whatever you say, _Hero_.”

He looked at Eobard, uncertainty filling him. For a brief moment, a strange expression flitted through his reverse's eyes, but it was gone in an instant. 

"Hero," Barry said, thoughtful.

“Hmm?”

“I just realized this...but...you...saved _my_ life, today. What, is that like the first time?"

"The fifteen years I spent in the twenty-first century hell notwithstanding...yeah, I suppose it is. But don’t get a big head over it; I'm not facing that Time Demon alone," Eobard reminded. He tilted his head. "Tell me, how the hell have you been fighting criminals alone for so long?"

Barry stared at him for a few moments in silence before he replied, "that's the first time in quite awhile that one got so close to killing me."

"That's hard to believe."

"Darkstar is a very tough cookie." Barry pushed himself from the bed. He stretched and then walked out of the room. He called back, “besides, maybe it’s partially _your_ fault.”

"And how would that be partially my fault, exactly?" Eobard’s voice was right behind him.

“You distracted me before I left.”

“Did I now? Oh, which reminds me, we should finish _that_ conversation soon, too, before you really do die.”

Barry said nothing and tapped the wall. The holoscreen turned on, the news bot in mid-speech, "-live from the scene of a recent hostage situation thwarted by the Flash. After going down in unknown circumstances, the Reverse Flash appeared-"

"Don't want them to know we're buddies, huh?" Flash said, tone light.

Eobard folded his arms, a sour look on his face, eyes stuck on the screen.

It was still speaking, "-he killed the perpetrator and sped off with the Flash, indicating that he wanted to kill him personally. We-"

Barry turned to Eobard, feeling a rush of anger. " _Seriously?_ You _killed_ that criminal? You just can't help yourself, can you?"

Eobard unfolded his arms and shrugged again. "Back to the pipeline, I assume? Just when I was making some headway..." He exhaled. “You know what? I’m getting deja vu. I'm starting to see a trend for when I actually do something to help; I rush in, somebody dies, and you get pissed afterward.”

"You _said_ you wouldn't kill _anyone_ else. You _lied_."

"You know that's not all that uncommon for me."

" _W_ _hy_ , though? Last time you lied about not killing, you had a reason. Not a good one, but a reason nonetheless."

"I thought he'd killed you, and I lost my temper," the Reverse blurted.

Barry froze. For a moment, he wondered if he'd heard wrong. "What...did you just say?"

Eobard repeated, each word measured with great care, "I thought he'd killed you...and I lost my temper... I...murdered him because I was angry." He snorted. "Heh, this really is just like the original timeline... I murdered _that_ criminal in anger, too."

Barry took several moments to even come up with a response. "...Wha-? I don't understand... You weren't...dancing with joy?"

"...No.”

"...You...didn't kill him that guy...to get at me?"

"No," Eobard repeated, shifting from foot to foot as though wanting to retreat from this conversation. "Not this time... For the first time in a very long time, I killed someone impulsively, and not because you did good; I did it because I lost control of my...anger...because...” He shrugged once more, as though trying to trivialize the truth behind his words.

"Because you thought I was dead?”

Eobard looked very uncomfortable now, and damn well did it serve him right. Barry wasn’t letting him get away with hiding this truth, and maybe there was just a tiny piece of sadistic vengefulness in him, too, that was enjoying the other's torment. “Let me get this straight,” he said, dragging each word out to the other’s great and obvious discomfort, “-you killed someone to avenge me, and then saved my life the moment you realized I was still alive?”

“Um.” Eobard flinched and looked away,

Barry, in spite of the seriousness of the conversation, had to grin. Then laugh - a short bark of amusement coupled with disbelief.

Eobard Thawne, a genius mind who almost always had perfect composure in every conversation, who spoke with almost flawless grammar, and rarily struggled with word choice and speech...

Had just _ummed_.

“I suppose that sums it up,” Eobard mumbled. He looked up, blatant disgruntlement on his face. "Well,” he said, his steady voice belying his expression. “Aren't you going to lock me up in the pipeline again? What, would that be lock-up number four, now? Or five? I can never keep track..." He stared at the Flash, brows furrowing as if wondering why Barry hadn’t moved an inch yet. “Go ahead and try it. I have no regrets."

"You never do," Barry muttered. "Don’t worry, though. I’m not planning on locking you up… Not yet, anyway."

Eobard looked surprised. “Not to look this gift horse in the mouth, but… _Why?”_

"A few reasons - one, you’re a vengeful jerk, and if I locked you away now, well...I can only imagine what you’d do when Time Demon’s gone to get back at me, and more people will just wind up hurt… And two, I don’t really feel like tearing up half the city right now to catch you just for this one incident that I know you hadn’t planned on. You didn’t go back on your promise _intentionally_ , and that’s enough for me… For _now_ .” He forced complete certainty into his tone, this time. "But don’t mistake me - if you _do_ kill someone again to get at me, I _will_ do whatever I have to. I’ll put you away for good.”

"I see," Eobard said. "I'm...glad you're being sensible."

Barry stared at him, unblinking. "Besides, it seems a poor way to say thank you after you went through the trouble of saving my life."

Eobard stiffened at yet another mention of his good deed. “Please, _don’t_ _thank me_. I’m already sick to my stomach over this whole thing.” Then, as if to himself, he muttered, "someone shoot me."

Barry hesitated, contemplating. He weighed the decision in his mind, because this decision would affect every moment from here on out. But he knew, that if there was even a single chance, however small… "You were right about something, Thawne."

Eobard looked abruptly smug at the admittance of his rightness, but Barry was fairly certain he had no idea what he was talking about. That suspicion was confirmed when the Reverse Flash said happily,  "I'm right about everything; you'll need to be more specific on what you are referring to, exactly."

"I _was_ scared, but I don't want to be afraid anymore. I almost died...and, it just seems kind of silly now..."

"Afraid...of what?" Eobard hesitated, like he knew the answer to his question, but wanted to hear it, to be certain.

"This."

The Flash closed the distance between them. He seized Eobard's shoulders and leaned in, tilting his head, connecting their lips. A rush of adrenaline sparked through him from the sensation. After a moment of evident astonishment, Eobard reciprocated with a slow gentleness that was so different from their last kiss.

Truth be told, Barry had always known that he’d felt a bit more than he should have for Eobard. There was a strange sense of a connection that had only grown stronger over the course of the past couple of weeks. And why couldn’t he bend the rules just a bit? Just this once? And perhaps, in another timeline, another universe, another life, Eobard and he might have been allies and friends. They could have been…

He pulled away just enough to murmur, "I'm not scared, now. I don't know what this is or where it leads, exactly. I don't want to know, because it's probably really bad... But all I know, is that I want to...try it...before it's too late… I could literally die on the nexus... And, I know, this is probably the most reckless and stupid and dumb thing I’ve ever done...but so what? I _want this…_ I want to be with _you_. No matter how little sense it makes." He brushed their lips once more before he stepped back.

Eobard stared at him like he’d grown a few extra heads and maybe some pairs of arms that had eleven fingers.

Barry had to laugh. "Speechless, Eobard?"

That seemed to jar the other’s words loose. He spoke, expression growing suspicious, “...is...this some kind of elaborate joke?”

“What? _No_... You are _so_ ungrateful, you jerk.”

"I…" Alarm spread over Eobard's face. "No, Barry, that's not- forgive my skepticism, but can you blame me? How was I to know your hero complex would budge? I wasn't expecting _that_. Being sensible - especially twice in a row - is something no one should anticipate from you, Allen. But, since you're serious, I'm very thrilled to hear it." He grinned a grin that was unlike his usual, wolfish one - this was one of sheer merriment.

Barry smiled, too.

"I'm glad you realized what you wanted," Thawne said. "Denial is so easy... Acceptance is powerful... It's...hard to do, though..."

"You said that once before," Barry murmured, “a long time ago. And you were right.”

“Like I said, I'm right about everything." the Reverse chortled. He hesitated, then said, "did you know, in the original timeline, it was _so_ hard to accept that you weren’t the man I thought you were? But once I did…”

"You became Reverse Flash?"

"Yeah." Eobard looked down at his black gloves. "I guess _I_ should thank _you_ , now."

"Don't mention it." When there was no response, Barry turned, speeding out of the cortex. He went to his room, hastily threw on his work clothes, and returned to Eobard. "I have to get to work now,” he informed the other speedster.

“Wait just a second,” Eobard said, “I…”

“What?”

The other speedster looked like he wanted to say something, but the words that left his mouth didn’t seem to be those he’d been planning on speaking. “What...what about Darkstar? What if he strikes again?”

“I don’t think he will again today. I don’t think he expected you to show up, and he’ll have to improvise around that...meaning he’ll disappear for awhile.” Barry wondered if he should press the issue of the other's hesitancy to figure out what was on his mind, but decided against it. Eobard would just deny. If he had wanted to say it, he would have. “I’ll keep my ears and eyes open. I’ll contact Whisper later, too. If the assassin sticks his head out of whatever hole he’s crawled into, we’ll find him.”

"...Alright.”

“Now I really have to go. I'll see you later." He spun on his heel and rushed from the lab.

* * *

Eobard wasn’t sure if he had stopped thinking about Barry all day. The obsession was all-consuming. But this time, he didn’t fight it. This time, he didn’t despise it. This time, he wanted it. He wanted the Scarlet Speedster in his thoughts, because it was such a delicious turn of events. Barry was willing. Barry had agreed to this. Barry _wanted_ this. It was such sweet triumph that flooded him at the thought.

How had he gotten _so_ lucky? This was like winning the lottery, which was even harder to do in the twenty-second century. Miracles weren't supposed to happen twice, yet this one sure had. Maybe the universe was finally giving him a break, a reward, after all the shit it'd forced him to go through. After all, he'd never imagined the  _Flash_  would surrender to his feelings, to surrender to anything that related to Eobard, his Reverse. Maybe it was that selfish part of the other man that'd won him over, that same side that had caused him to run back in time so long ago and create Flashpoint. But really, none of that mattered. What did matter, was that Eobard would _have_ Barry Allen. He would have the Flash, his once-hero-turned-enemy.

The perverse dichotomy of it thrilled him beyond words - a villain and a hero, entwined into one, like a black hole and an infinite source of light trapped together, destroying and feeding each other. God, it was _too_ perfect. Almost too much so to be true.

A paradox - something that shouldn't exist because of the impossibility of it.

_Yes. That is what we are._

Eobard closed his eyes. He yearned for the other to be entangled with him in every way possible. He wanted to hold the Flash down, fill him, watch his eyes widen with pain and pleasure. He wanted to see him sweaty, flushed, hair disarrayed. He wanted the other straddling him, moving with him in ecstasy. He wanted to stand, back against a wall, while the other speedster knelt at his feet, Eobard’s fingers twisted in his hair. And he wanted to return such favors, to touch him, to pleasure him, to hurt him, whatever it took to give him the most intense climax he would ever feel. And he knew, them both being speedsters, they could go _all night_ if they wished, wreathed in Speed Force and rapture, like an eternity of sinful hedonism. The _things_ he would do to that man - the ways he could have the other screaming his name.

He sighed blissfully at such thoughts.

He desired Barry Allen, and nothing - not even misplaced resistance and denial to feelings - could stop the two of them now, from finally having what they _wanted_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoah boy, damn, Eo...calm down... (He took a whole freaking eight paragraphs to get his goddamn crazy lust across)
> 
> And...next chapter is giving me jitters(hah), because of...something that happens. Let's just say their, um, relationship has a very...rough start... 
> 
> (And no, not talking about sex...exactly)


	26. Greedy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CONTENT WARNING: There is some BRIEF, NON-CONSENSUALISH-ISH STUFF, this chapter. If that sort of thing bothers you, you may not want to read...

Barry stood by his bed, stretching, yawning. He sighed and blinked. He was reaching up to release the clasps on his tunic, when he heard the door open. Alarmed, he spun around, halting when he spotted Eobard. The alarm he felt only somewhat lessened, and he dropped his hands, trying to ignore the adrenaline that flowed through him, that increased his heartbeat.

He cleared his throat pointedly and asked with irritation, “just because of earlier, now you think you can make a habit of barging unannounced into my room whenever you want?”

“Why not?” Eobard replied. The auto-door slid close behind him.

"It's rude."

"Come on, Barry. This kind of night has nothing to do with being well-mannered."

Barry exhaled. He had a good idea of why the other was here - what he wanted. “Well,” he started, “I suppose we were bound to have this conversation sooner or later.” He folded his arms.

“Actually, I don’t think there’s much to discuss."

“ _Actually_ , there is. I think we both have very different ideas of what is going on between us, right now.”

“Really?” Eobard took a step forward, a small frown on his face.

“Really. I had no intentions of taking things _this_ fast, but apparently you did. The only reason you’d come here, at this time of the night, and the way you’ve been staring at me since I got home, the way you’re talking… You want sex, right?”

“I thought that went unspoken,” Eobard said, furrowing his brows with confusion. “Come on, Allen. Don’t tell me that that’s not what _you_ want.” He took another step. “I’m not blind. I’ve seen the way you've been looking at me, too, you know.”

Barry jutted his chin. “One thing you’ll learn about me, Thawne, is that I’m greedy when it comes to...intimacy. I think I want more than sex.”

The Reverse let out an impatient sigh. “ _Of course_ you do. And what _more_ do you want? Cuddling? Because that is a serious _no_.”

Barry opened his mouth.

Eobard cut in before he uttered a sound, “Actually, before you say it, let me give you a word from the wise; be careful what you wish for.”

“It’s simple. I don’t want to rush this. I want to take it slow - I want to _savor_ it, to work up to the bed part - you know, get a feel of... _this_. Of _us_.”

Eobard shook his head slightly, once again taking another step. “I don’t understand. Tell me _why_ ,” he demanded, closing the final distance between them. “I think we’ve wasted _enough_ time, as it is.”

“It’s not time wasted.”

“Yes, it is.”

"Every moment changes this, for better or worse."

"No, it doesn't. Stop deluding yourself to ease your conscious. You know this is exactly what you want."

Barry could feel his tension, his agitation. He knew this wasn’t going to be easy and not just because Eobard was going to be stubborn, but because he himself almost regretted what he knew he was about to say. “Look,” he replied, “this is…” He sighed, struggling to find a way to explain, to get it through to the other. “You need to understand... I haven’t had this interest in anybody for a long time. I’m just not ready to rush into this. I haven’t even sorted out what this is between us, yet, and I need time to do that.”

“Then let me help you; it’s called _lust_ , Barry..."

"What if it's more than that?"

"It's not..." There was an irritated sigh. "You know, I thought perhaps you would’ve grown up a bit, but apparently you’re still the hopeless romantic I remember from the twenty-first century.”

Barry bristled. “I’d be one hell of an idiot, Thawne, to even consider _that_ ,” he growled. “I know this definitely is not love, and I’m certainly not expecting any romance... I just don’t want to be mistaken when trying to pursue this...relationship.”

The Reverse gave a derisive snort. “It is _not_ a relationship.”

“Whatever... But I do know that it’s more than lust. I know what lust feels like, and this is...well, more... Maybe it’s the Speed Force, or our history, or...I don’t know...but...I think we’ll both regret it if we do this now, and it turns out I’m right… Put simply - I just need a way out in case it is _more_. I think you need one, too. That's why I want to take this slowly.”

His reverse stared at him for several long moments, expression giving nothing away. “You worry too much,” Eobard said at last. He put a finger under Barry’s chin, stroking a rhythm against his skin. “Nothing we do tonight will be set in stone… You’ll be able to run away from this later, if you really want to… You'll have your way out, because I'll hold you to nothing..."

"It's not about you... What if _I_ can't give myself an out," Barry whispered. "What if I get attached? Because if I do, I will have to put up with that added pain for the rest of my life, on top of everything else already inside of me."

Eobard shifted, dropping his arm. "You won't grow attached." He sound certain. "I'm your worst enemy... You hate me... I've contributed to so much of the hell in your life, there's no way you'd develop real feelings for me... And I know you haven't done this in a while, so let me remind you - it's really not that complicated or hard... And if - and I emphasize the _if_ \- this is _more_ , like you say, I don’t really care. Because all I want right now, is you.”

“And just how much of me are we talking about?” Barry shot back, stubborn, refusing to budge, in spite of the warmth and desire pooling in his stomach. “You’re just wanting a quick fix, right? Nothing more, nothing less?”

“I wouldn’t say quick...maybe semi-fast. Fine. As slow as I might manage, if that’s your thing.” Eobard shifted his hands, gripping the other’s waist. He pressed him back against the wall. “Can we stop talking now?”

Barry saw the other speedster’s surprise when he shoved him back. “No, we can’t. Even if I don’t figure this out, I’m going to have to at least trust you enough. Not just with my body, but to not kill me afterward, and I can’t. Not yet. Not with the way things are standing at the moment, Thawne.”

The other gave a frustrated sigh. “You shouldn’t _ever_ trust me, Barry.”

“And yet you saved my life. Got angry about my almost-demise.”

"Knowing that, why do you think I might kill you?"

"Because I'd be surrendered to you - maybe in every way possible...or in every way that mattered... Perhaps you'd humiliate me, then feel inclined to end me afterward. I know there are moments where you can barely control your desire to kill me, truce or no truce."

"That's what this is about." Eobard scrunched his brows in realization. “You're frightened of being that vulnerable to me."

"...Yes."

"Then why did you say you wanted me, that you were done being scared?"

"Because I had hoped you could be patient with me, while I worked through all this. Just because I said I was done being scared, doesn't mean I can overcome that fear in less than a day..."

"Barry, I'm _not_ going to humiliate or kill you if we do this."

"And I'm supposed to just take your word for it?"

Eobard ran a hand through his hair. "I'm guessing you won't... You know, if you ever thought this was about more than carnal pleasure, you should never have said you wanted to give this a try... This _doesn’t_ have to be as complicated as you're trying to make it. We desire each other. Maybe it _is_ because we’re speedsters, or because we’re crazy, or we see something we like. It doesn’t _matter_.”

“It _does_ matter.”

Thawne scowled. “Allen, the longer we deny our lust, the worse it’ll get. Let’s just forget everything tonight - everything between us, your fear, our battle, our hatred... Because I’m not looking for a relationship with you.”

“So you just want sex...whenever?" Barry shook his head. "What, enemies-with-benefits? If so, then _you_ shouldn't have kissed me that night. You should've known I'm not the type to just jump into this kind of thing blind.” He exhaled. “I guess we really are reversed, aren’t we?” He laughed in disbelief. "We can't even agree on what the hell our desire amounts to and what to do with it."

Eobard chortled, too. “Yeah, I’ll just go ahead and admit it - I don’t even understand why we’re still arguing about this anymore. So, please, let’s stop thinking about it - stop reading too much into it. I _know_ , without a doubt, that we both want this, so damn everything else and let me make you scream tonight, let me take you to those heights, let me erase our differences tonight. Nothing more, nothing less. We’ll let it end there, if you must, but neither of us can escape this need. _Right. Now_.” His gaze flicked across Barry, and the Flash swore it was with a certain desperation.

Barry reached forward and gripped his hand, causing the other to look straight into his eyes. “I...wish I could say yes...but I know I cannot. I just can’t. Not yet...but with time... If you'll give me a chance...”

Reverse Flash narrowed his eyes, a flicker of red racing across them. “So, that's it, huh? You'll just turn me away, after everything you said earlier about wanting to be with me?"

"I'm sorry."

Eobard hesitated, eyes darkening. His jaw clenched. "You know, Flash...there’s this not-so-little part in me that wants to just quit asking for your damned permission,” he almost purred, “because we both know in that turn of events, you’ll come to your senses.”

“You could,” Flash replied, voice cold, “if that’s the kind of dynamic you want between us...but I _know_ that you don’t. If you did, you would have done it already, before I ever agreed to anything…because I know you’ve been eyeing me for awhile. Whatever else you are, you aren’t _that_ awful.”

Eobard stared, warring emotions in his eyes. “You always tempt me to be my worst.”

Barry said with abrupt understanding, "this is all a challenge to you, isn't it? And if so..." He thought carefully. "Then this is going to be a game of give and take, isn't it? Then you’ll give as much as I do… Sorry. There's my terms. That’s my thing _._ If you want sex, then give me time to figure out what I want in return.”

Barry felt the hand he held tense, grip tightening.

“Eobard, what are you willing to give?”

Thawne stared at him, eyes hard, glittering with red electricity. “...I think you want me to fuck you, Allen, even as you pretend otherwise. The only reason we waited this long, is because you kept pretending you didn’t want this. Now, I know better. Earlier, you said you wanted to be with me…and so, you will.”

Eobard grabbed his shoulders and slammed him against the wall, lips on his. All of his weight was behind the action, and Barry felt a simultaneous ache and thrill run through his being. He struggled to breath through his nose, heart pounding. Perhaps he had misread the other and he was more than willing to go through with his threat. Despite his own fear and uncertainty, he still found himself having to resist the urge to reciprocate to the other’s touch...

Or punch him.

But he had to end this without a fight, or things would get even worse between them.

“Never underestimate me,” Eobard growled on his jaw when he broke the kiss. He bit at his neck. Barry groaned. “I’m going to make you mine, tonight, _Flash_. And I _know_ you will enjoy every second.”

Barry summoned every last ounce of willpower. “Stop this... I know you don’t want it like this.”

Eobard pulled back, eyes wild. “You don’t know anything about me, Flash. You never did. You never will.” He leaned back in and bit harder than before. Barry winced. Hands slid under his shirt, feeling along his back. Unforgiving fingers dug into the skin on his shoulders with bruising force. Barry leaned his head back against the wall, groaning, trying not to relent to the other. He shivered, crushing his eyelids together.

“ _Eobard.._. I know you’re better than this...”

The Reverse Flash leaned up, pressing lips to the Flash's ear. A strong, calloused hand slid up his chest and wrapped around his throat, locking like a vise there. Barry went rigid, feeling an ache in his torso at the elbow digging against his ribs. Eobard was a mass of steel against his body, pinning him there against the wall. “Goddamn you, Bartholomew Allen,” he whispered, breath warm. “I _hate_ you. Why do you have to be so damned stubborn? You can’t loosen up for even  _one_ damned night.”

Barry opened his eyes, meeting the other's angry gaze with defiance.

Thawne released his hold. He jerked back, spun on his heel, and stormed out of the room without another word.

Barry gasped, sagging back in relief. He felt worn. He forced his breathing to even out, trying to calm his racing heart. He’d played with fire. Had Thawne not stopped, the situation could have devolved into a very nasty fight...but somehow, it hadn't come to that. Eobard had shown him tonight that he wasn't willing to go past the point of no return for what he wanted.

* * *

So much for nothing standing between what they wanted anymore, Eobard thought in irritation.

To say he was frustrated was a huge understatement. Even after Barry had admitted his feelings, he was still resisting them, and it felt very much like what the Reverse imagined dragging a stubborn mule up a mountainside would be like, with it constantly stopping, snorting and hollering before relenting another step or two, all while Eobard pulled and pulled on its lead to no avail.

_I’m an idiot - such an idiot to expect any different._

He didn’t know why, but somehow, he’d thought his touch would unwind the man, to make him unable to resist this any longer. And, damn, would it have really been _so_ horrible to take him then? It was so blindingly obvious that Barry wanted this… But even in his lust-haze and agitation, he knew better. If Barry didn’t consent, then he couldn’t take...not this, anyway. Murder was one thing, but this was something else entirely. Even he had boundaries, though he hadn't really wanted Barry to know they existed at all.

He supposed he’d just have to try harder to make Barry more comfortable with the entire situation, to assuage his fears in being vulnerable, to find out what the other wanted in return.

This was becoming very trying, almost on a ridiculous level, but he was too invested now to give up on it. He wanted it. He needed it.


	27. Dinner Date

Barry replaced the Flash emblem upon the suit. He gave it a slight tap and stepped back from it, nodding to himself. "I upgraded the magnetic and electrical shields this puts off. Nothing is getting through the suit again, not even liquid. I'm safe from future poisoning attempts." There was a small measure of pride in his voice. He folded his arms. "Every time the criminals fail, I get a little more resistant to dying... So, what do you think?" He asked over his shoulder. "You've been rather quiet today." 

Eobard moved behind the Flash and slipped an arm around him. Barry jumped a little in surprise. "It's good," Eobard murmured on his shoulder, voice husky. "Just like you." He pressed his lips behind the other's ear, inhaling the lingering scent of shampoo in his dark hair.

"Eobard," Barry said, tensing, "you can't just-" 

Thawne slid his hand down and squeezed his fingers into the other. 

“Shit!” Barry jerked out of his grasp and spun around in the same motion, glaring as if Eobard had just tried to stab him. “What the hell are you _doing,_ Thawne?”

“What’s wrong?” Eobard asked with perfect innocence. He shoved his hands into his pockets, amusement growing. It was not often the Flash resorted to such foul language.

“Don't do that!”

“Why? Does that turn you on?”

“Unbelievable **,”** he groaned. “It's _annoying,_ not to mention super creepy, and definitely _not_ arousing.”

“Aww,” Eobard said, almost playful. “You're so uptight.”

“Okay,” Barry started, jaw clenching. “For one, that’s technically sexual harassment-”

“Oh my god, it is?” Eobard mocked. “I guess you’d better lock me up and add that to my long list of crimes. Think it'll add a few more days to my many pending prison-sentences?”

“And _two,”_ Barry continued as if he hadn't heard, “it's really not helping your case, right now. You keep up that sort of behavior, and you aren't going to get anything that you want from me.”

Eobard mouthed in time to Barry’s self-righteous words. He dropped to his chair. “Complain all you want, but we both know you like my touch."

The Flash rubbed his temples. "Why do I even bother trying to get through that thick skull of yours?"

" _My_ thick skull?" Eobard laughed. "Please, tell me why exactly you kissed me if you don't wish to pursue your desires?” That last part sounded more like a complaint than he wanted it to.

“Hm,” Barry replied, scowl fading. “I wonder _why_ , too…” He grabbed his water bottle from a nearby desk, taking a drink from it. He raised an eyebrow. “Besides, we’ve already discussed this, soooo....”

Eobard narrowed his eyes, suspicion growing. "No... I know exactly what you are thinking."

"Do you?"

"How could I not? Ever since the other night, you keep pestering me over it... We are _not_ \- under any circumstances - going on a _date_ , Barry. I believe I have made that perfectly clear _._ "

"It's not...a date. It's...a dinner."

"A dinner date."

Barry shrugged and sat his bottle back on the desk. "It's just a time to...talk about things besides the Flash and Reverse Flash...and maybe figure out whatever the hell is going on between us right now."

Eobard leaned back. "No. We can talk about that _here,_ if you must."

"Why not? You're the one who started this." Barry was the one practically complaining, now.

The Reverse Flash rolled his eyes. "Because we _aren't_ starry-eyed teenagers just feeling infatuation for the first time. Really, Barry, you are hopeless."

Resignation filled Allen's his face. "I can tell this is going _nowhere._ Maybe we should...stop whatever this is. I mean, it's already failing. Not exactly a good indicator of what's to come, you know?"

Eobard felt himself flinch. "No. We can't stop yet."

"We can't come to an agreement. At all. What exactly are we supposed to do?"

"Look, Barry, like I said before, this doesn't have to be as complicated as you're making it." He pushed from the chair and crossed over to the other speedster. He wrapped an arm around him once more, but this time he didn't wear out his welcome. He felt a spark of electricity between them. He leaned forward, meeting the wary gaze on him. "This," he murmured. "-this is just desire. Why make it more than that? We don't have to force this couple thing. We just are. We aren't friends, Allen, and dates are something non-enemies do."

"If this is just desire, why did you get so angry when you thought I had died?"

"Because nobody takes what I want from me. _Nobody_."

"Well." Barry pushed him away, breaking the contact between them. "If you aren't willing to give a little, then I'm not either."

"Meaning?" Eobard asked, irritated.

"Meaning if you won't work with me, I won't work with you. You made it very clear that you want more than kissing and touching from me. If you want it, you have to give a little, too. And if not, I'm done with this. I'm already _this_ close to calling it quits."

"You've got to be kidding me."

"No," Barry said, voice fierce. "I'm _not_."

"For your information," Eobard hissed, glaring, "there is a possibility that I might still overpower you and _take_ what I want."

"Then why didn’t you go through on that particular threat the other night?" Barry asked, eyes glittering with challenge.

Silence fell between them for several moments.

"You know what I think, Thawne?" he asked. "I think you're not as dark as you want the world to believe - as you want me to believe. At least, not the real you...and I want to get to know _him_."

Eobard stepped forward. "It's so _very_ tempting, to do what I want to you... But, if I did, then I don't get the added satisfaction of your willing surrender." He gripped the other's chin and kissed him. He was pleased the other reciprocated. He pulled back, his next words a mere whisper, "I'm already this far without using brute strength. I don't have to force the rest. I'm patient enough."

"So," Barry replied, "does that mean you're willing to go to dinner with me? Because it kind of sounds to me like you aren't ready to let this end."

Eobard clenched his jaw, realizing the other was manipulating him. If he didn't give, he'd never get Barry in the way he wanted to. "Fine," he growled, "but only if you're willing to have this dinner here...or at my family's house... I'm not going _out_ with you, Barry." He felt a flare of annoyance when the other grinned in triumph.

"Okay, we'll order in," the Flash said. "At your family's house, though. I need to get away from STAR Labs for awhile."

* * *

Eobard heard the knock. He yanked open the door.

"Allen," he greeted.

The other speedster stepped into his family home. "Thawne."

The Reverse, in spite of himself, found his gaze lingering on the charming attire the other wore with some appreciation. Barry did know how to look good. He exhaled. "Here you go, Flash. Everything you wanted. I do so hope you're happy with it," he bit out.

"Definitely."

Well, that was something, at least.

Barry raised an eyebrow. "You don't have to look like this is a torture session, you know."

Eobard stopped his next words, which were less than pleasant, and decided to say nothing as they moved into the main room. He didn't trust what might come out of his mouth.

"So, you've got food?" Barry asked, crossing the expanse of the mansion, Eobard close by.

"Yeah," he replied. He grabbed Barry's arm, halting him.

"What?" Barry stared at him with mild confusion.

"Dining room is _this_ way." The Reverse pointed exasperatedly.

"Oh." He chuckled. "I could get lost in here."

The two of them stepped through the doorway to their destination. On the nearest end of the dining table, food waited. Eobard had to admit to himself that his placement of the fancy dishes was rather well-done. Some of his high-class upbringing had paid off, at last. He puffed up at his minor achievement. His parents would have been proud. "This is what you wanted?"

Barry laughed.

"What's so funny?"

"You're just terrible at this." Eobard scowled, and the other continued quickly, "but yeah, this is what I wanted. It looks great, Eobard."

"Then let's eat before my fantasy of clobbering you becomes a reality."

"I don't suppose you have any music."

"And candles? You want those, too, Barry? And flowers? Just who do you think I _am_?"

"Do you _have_ any candles or flowers?" Barry responded with a grin. It disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared. "Besides, I didn't say romantic music. This house is just so big and quiet, is all."

"Sit down, Allen. Quit pushing your luck." He grimaced at the thought of a romantic setting. "Tell me, why in the world do you want to do this? I'm already feeling like I hate you more. And I didn't know that was possible."

"You just think you hate me more," Barry said, sitting at the end of the table. "In truth, you're slowly growing to appreciate the new angle I'm introducing into your life." He helped himself, digging into his food without preamble.

Eobard's brow twitched as he claimed his own seat. He filled his plate. "You are utterly ridiculous, Allen."

"Now you know how I feel when you do your crazy stuff..." A few seconds passed, then Barry said, "So, what are you planning to do with this house?"

"Give it to my sister and her fiance when she recovers. The doctors told me yesterday they anticipate she'll awaken soon."

"What if she doesn't want it?"

"She will."

"You're _that_ sure?"

"The estate was willed to us both, and _I'm_ not keeping it. I'm certain she'll want it to stay in the family. She...is more traditional than I am...like our parents were. I'm not exactly the best fit for head of this house, anyway..." He sighed, feeling a twinge of loss in his chest, thinking of his family. "I'm not like my father, even though he wanted me to be. Mother, too... And though they cared for me, they...always expected more than what I could give to the family name." He filled his glass, staring at the maroon liquid falling from the crystal wine decanter. "Before they died, my father said I had an obligation as a Thawne... I think he was hoping he could still make me the heir of the family that he wanted, but even now, even knowing what he wanted... I know I can't fulfill that obligation. It's not in my nature to be saddled with social politics. Ever since I was old enough to understand what my name meant, I just wanted to pursue a life of freedom away from all of it, the status, the obligations...the wealth. But it follows me everywhere, even now."

"Since when is being wealthy a burden?" Barry asked, taking a bite.

"Since I had a sister who spent hours yelling at me every time I didn't show up to a family ball or party." Eobard chortled at the thought. "Really, it's not as fun as you might think."

"Well, I wish I could have gotten to know your parents better."

"Why?"

"They just seemed like good people... Besides, I think it may have given me more insight on _you_."

"Insight..."

"Yeah," Barry said over a mouthful. "It's not exactly fair that you get to have the original timeline in your head, and that's how you know me, which isn't actually this me, but another me, and I know this you, not that other you, who was probably more like who you really are, an-"

"Barry, I'm not that person anymore," Eobard interrupted before he died from the man's _terrible_ table manners. Growing up as a Thawne, his parents would have killed him for talking with a full mouth. Well, not literally, he reflected, but all the same.

Allen swallowed. "There must be something of him left." He gulped at his glass like it was water and not dinner wine.

"Perhaps, but he's changed," Eobard said, sipping at his own glass, trying not too feel appalled. "This me. He's not the boy my parents raised, that is for sure. I changed after I left home."

"Well, I think there is some of him in you, Eobard. Besides, there must be some Thawne family photos around here...of baby Eobard?" He wiggled his eyebrows playfully, wiping his mouth on his _sleeve_.

Eobard scowled. "No, there are not. I burned all of those in a bonfire made from the images of fanart of you..."

Allen laughed again.

Eobard chewed with deliberate slowness and swallowed. He sighed, unable to stand another second of this man eating with the _wrong_ , goddamned fork. It wasn't that every meal required perfect manners. But this _was_ a rather nice one, and it was being consumed in the family home. He felt that warranted a bit of respect for his parents. "Barry," he said, careful, "...you have the worst table manners."

"I do?"

"Yeah, you do." Eobard sat his spoon down.

Barry took a smaller bite as though he were making an effort to eat in a more scrupulous manner. Eobard was mildly surprised the other was taking _any_ pains on his behalf.

Allen joked, "at least we're already arguing like an old married coupled. So we're good on that end."

Eobard choked on his food and coughed hard. The other hit him on the back until he could breathe again. "Jeeze, Thawne," he said. "It was a _joke_. You keep telling me to lighten up, but you're pretty stiff in your own way when it comes to us."

The Reverse Flash felt a stab of mortification crawling through him as he regained his breath. He needed to change the subject - and fast. Still coughing slightly, he asked, “heard...anything about our...assassin friend...Darkstar?” He inhaled, lungs aching.

“Nope, he’s gone off the radar after that last incident. Probably scared that I survived his poison.”

“I’m sure he is.” Eobard stabbed at his food, feeling a little less hungry. "This is why I didn't want to do this."

"Why?"

"It's annoying. We don't agree on anything. Well, not much of anything. Talking like this...well, it's not going to add anything to our..." He exhaled, feeling his face twist. " _Relationship,_ I assure you."

"Well. If you keep thinking that, you may just make it true, Mr. Negativity."

"Sigh," Eobard said.

When they finished dinner, Barry stood and walked out of the dining room to the ballroom, eyes wandering with admiration as he took it in once again.

"Barry," Eobard said, following. "Where are you going?"

"Relax," came the reply. "You know, Thawne, the point of going on dates, is about having fun." He approached a console in the corner of the room.

"What are-?"

He saw the Flash superspeed through it.

"Don't-"

"There." Barry tapped it.

Ballroom music blared around them. Barry winced and turned the volume down.

Eobard slumped his shoulders in defeat.

Barry moved back over to him, grabbing his hand. The reverse wanted to resist, to take back his hand, to tell Barry once again how ridiculous he was to think they would ever dance again... But his heart-rate picked up, and the warm hand on his felt...good. And in a non-sexual way. He found his resistance melting away. He let the other man drag him to the middle of the vast, empty floor.

"We never did learn to dance, but we don't have to," Barry said, facing him and grabbing his other hand. Eobard was reminded of an excited puppy, with the way the other's eyes fixed on him in a bright, hopeful manner.

"Why...is this _so_ important to you?" Was all he could manage at this point.

"Because I know it won't last," Barry muttered and looked away.

Eobard started at his tone. "Come again?"

"This won't last," Barry repeated, gaze returning to Eobard's. "Nothing - good or bad - in my life has lasted. But I learned to deal with it by making the most of it.

"And I know I've been a bit...unreceptive after the other night. But I’ve thought a lot about _us_ since then, too, and where we stand in this, and what I want from this relationship... And I’m not under any illusions here… I know this is all a game for you. You just want the perverse amusement of fucking your worst enemy, something you can laugh about later when you try to murder me. Fine. I can see the appeal for you.... And if you _really_ want that, I’ll give it to you. But I’ve decided that I also want something in return, which seems reasonable to me… I want the opposite. I want the fun of dating you like a real lover to go with it… I want the amusement of knowing we _dated,_ while you make attempts on my life. This is all give and take. So let's make a deal...I promise, if you just let me have my fun, I’ll let you have yours…"

He smiled. “So...you'll humor me, won't you?"

Eobard felt his heart skip.

If only Barry knew how hard Eobard’s heart had pounded when he’d nearly died. If only he knew that, at the time being, his reverse wouldn't kill him, because he _couldn't_. But Eobard couldn't explain any of that. Not only did it go against who he was, but he knew Barry would never believe him. Besides, it was only a matter of time before they were at each other's throats again. But, here, now, while they were civil...he could give a little in return for what he wanted...

"Okay," the Reverse Flash relented under the other’s intense gaze. "We have a deal. I'll _humor_ you... I can be what you want, if...in turn, you'll be what I want. When you're ready, of course."

"That's all I ask. Thank you."

"Don't ruin this by getting appreciative," Eobard muttered, even as he felt a rush of endorphins release in his brain. _Damn it._ Why did he feel like this all of a sudden?

"Don't worry," Barry said, "it won't ruin this."

"And don't get any big ideas about what this is, okay?"

"I won't."

"I have to ask - what happened to you being afraid of possibly getting attached?"

Barry shook his head. "Like I said, I thought a lot about it. And I realized that it was a bit silly to be afraid that. I know what I'm doing, I think, and I don't want that fear to hold me back from enjoying my life. It's been awhile since I've had any feelings like this...and I don't want to deprive myself out of fear. I've done that so many times, and I _always_ wind up regretting it. If I avoid this over that fear...I'll regret it more than if I get attached and then it ends badly."

_Strange. He looks almost...vulnerable, saying that... There was a time I would have given much to have him so vulnerable...well, not exactly like this. But now, I find myself not wanting him to hurt more than necessary._

Eobard felt him press closer, and accepted it. Barry rested a chin on his shoulder. And they fell into silence, swaying like that, slow-dancing for the first time. He imagined that Barry needed this fantasy he had forced him to play along in to stomach the two of them together. It wasn't a big deal, though. Perhaps, it may even make it more fun, as Barry claimed. He doubted it, but he was willing to give it a chance.

What did he have to lose, anyway?


	28. Movie Night

“That’s creepy,” Barry remarked.

Eobard yanked his eyes from the tense form, the half-bare muscles. The Flash had a towel on his waist, but nothing else. Deja vu, Eobard thought. The speedster must've been in the process of his morning routine, and Eobard hadn’t even realized he was staring until the other had looked his way and spoken those words, hadn't realized that he was leaning in the doorway of the living area, hadn't realized that he'd forgotten what he was even doing here.

_Sorry,_ almost slipped out of his mouth at the look the other speedster was giving him, but he stopped it in time, in the process saving himself some mortification. Apologize? Seriously? For what? “I’m not allowed to admire your form?” He asked instead. “Seeing as we’re now...ugh, _dating_ …” He was trying to recall when exactly he'd let himself be so humiliated for one simple goal - a goal that was most likely not going to be worth the amount trouble required to obtain it.

And yet...that feeling of being against the Flash, lips on his, electricity sparking through his being as rain dripped around them...

Was there really any price too hefty for _that_ feeling?

_What?_

Whatever. He'd come this far. Backing out now would leave him with _nothing_ , and he couldn't stand the thought, because he'd already given the Flash something in in advance.

A damned dinner date.

“Eobard," Barry's voice dragged him to the moment. "There’s admiring...and then there’s that creepy-stalker-staring-thing you occasionally do.”

“I’ve always been your stalker, Flash,” Eobard replied. “It’s my nature.” He looked to his hands, but they were empty. He'd been expecting a mug of coffee there, but even that had slipped his mind, it seemed. "I'm obsessed with you, apparently. No matter what form it takes," he muttered, annoyed at himself. He looked back up at the unreadable expression.

He concentrated on the Flash's vibrations, but as usual, they were just as unreadable as ever lately.

“Yeah," Barry said, "that really did nothing to dull the creepiness. I think it enhanced it.” He sped into his work clothes.

Eobard felt a bit of regret at the addition of clothing. Subtraction would have been nice, though unrealistic. “Admit it," he said, "you enjoy the attention."

“As if…”

“The _Flash_ basks in attention. He loves being admired.”

The Flash crossed the room, making for the door. Eobard intercepted him. “What?”

He leaned forward and kissed him. Barry grunted, eyes closing, reciprocating. Thawne put his arms around Barry, pressing against the fresh scent of someone who has just prepared themselves for another day in life. He lay his hand on the other’s neck, bracing it. He pressed forward and deepened the kiss.

If only life could wait a bit longer.

Barry pulled back first, gasping. There was a healthy flush in his cheeks.

Eobard exhaled, a little placated by admiring this effect he had on the other. “I wish you’d just fuck with me already. I'll still date you or whatever. Give and take, right?”

“Greedy and impatient,” Barry said like he were commenting on the weather, his unrelenting composure belying the added redness in his face, the increase in his respiration. “You’re going to make me late for work.” He ran a hand through his still-damp hair.

He tried to move again, but Eobard locked an arm around his waist. “What if I beg? Is that what you want from me, Flash?”

Barry turned his gaze on him, eyes narrowed. “What I want, is to go to work... Don’t worry, though, Reverse. You’ll get your prize."

Eobard released him and watched the other burst away with superspeed. He wasn't sure why a sensation of negativity rose in him, as if he'd said something wrong.

Ridiculous. Where had his head gone this morning?

Right. Coffee. That's what he needed.

* * *

Eobard navigated down the projected page when his message box popped up in the corner of the holographic screen.

_Hey,_ it said.

He read the name on it. Bartholomew Allen.

He read it again. It still said Bartholome Allen. Insane. _How did you get this account address?_ Eobard typed at the name with stiff fingers, hoping the words came across as accusatory over the virtual world as they would have in person.

_I found it on the console at your family's house._

Eobard frowned. _Wasn't very nice of you to snoop._

_Sorry. It was a bit of an accident when I was trying to pull up that song. I did find some baby photos, by the way. ;-) Adorable._

Eobard shifted, struggling to contain the annoyance rising in his gut. _If you send another emoticon, Bartholomew Allen, I'm cutting off this chat… And quite possibly your head later on._

_Too twenty-first century for you?_

_Yeah. And you finding those pictures...well, I’m very tempted to kill you again... Why are you messaging me?_

_Because I promised the captain I wouldn't leave early today, and I've finished all my work._

_Why'd you promise that?_

_Well, we have a new-hire. I’m staying right until seven to be a “good example.” I'm still head of the department, after all._

_I see._ Eobard began to write on the digital board, pulling the messaging over to his holoblock projection. He dropped the device on the table nearby. He wrote the equation from his mind onto the board. He took a moment from his writing to type, _I think I have an idea for what to do with S.T.A.R. Labs._

_Really? It's about time. I was starting to wonder if you were just going to keep free-loading forever._

Forever. Barry probably was just exaggerating for humorous effect, and yet, the notion...of staying here - of being here beyond what Time Demon required him to - it was a bit mind-boggling, really. And yet... He pushed those thought away, and began writing again. I _took the liberty of snooping through your files, too, Barry, so I suppose we're actually even. I saw you're rough idea of quantum devices. I think we should look into that. Putting our heads together - note, my brilliant mind with your slightly less brilliant one - and we'll outpace the competition in that field in less than a year. And don't forget A.I._

_What, you mean we should build a super-intelligent robot army to take over the world?_

_Yeah, something like that. Plus, I have some other tech that I liberated from that other you - we can check into it on the side._

_And if we have a bunch of workers running about, how am I going to use Star Labs for...you know, it's current purpose?_

_Barry, you barely use 2% of this place. You can move the essentials to another location easily._

_What other location? Housing's not cheap._

_I'm sure you can think of something..._

_Well, at least you'll be doing something with your free time besides sitting on your ass_ _._

Eobard didn't reply. He scribbled at the board in silence for a few minutes. Another message popped up. For some reason, he hesitated before letting his eyes be drawn to it.

_Movie tonight?_

Eobard froze - literally froze in place. He stared at the question as if it were a potential threat. He took a deep breath and then forced his hands to move.  _Do you mean sit down together and watch a movie?_ He read the sentence a few times before sending it, ensuring it didn't sound too wary. With no voice speaking it, it was likely just an innocent demand for clarification. He hoped.

Oh God. He hoped to the stars that Allen wasn't about to demand him to curl up on a couch and watch some cheesy romance. That would not go over well. Not at all. No wa-

_Yeah. There's this zombie movie I thought I'd grab after work. They say it feels like the zombies are in the room with you, even without using one of the virtual reality visors._

Eobard sagged in relief. Zombies was good. Anything besides love and drama and- _This is your idea of romance?_ Eobard hoped his reply was as dry as his words would have been speaking them out loud.

_I thought you hated being romantic. No, 'fun' is the word I would use._

Eobard sighed. _Fine._

"Great," Barry said behind him, blasting into the room at the same time.

Eobard jumped, twisting around, the marker clattering to the floor. "Really?" He asked as he stooped to retrieve it.

"Really."

"What was the point of that?"

"Thought I would save myself the trouble of more typing."

"Did you leave early, anyway?" He looked at the time on his holoblock. "Oh, that went faster than I expected." He closed out the projection and pocketed the device.

"Yep." Barry raised his hand, holding his own holoblock. "I got the movie downloaded, too."

"Great," Eobard said. "You know, of everything I ever thought I'd do with you, watching a movie about unbelievably terrible sci-fi and horror was something I never anticipated."

"It's good to do things you don't anticipate," Barry replied. "Gives you more perspective. Besides, the sci-fi might not be that bad in it. You never know." He shrugged. "Let's watch it in the old presentation room."

* * *

 "That wasn't even remotely realistic," Eobard criticized when the movie was over. "Why did they let themselves get surrounded, anyway? They shouldn't have gone to the aviation port. Of course all the shuttles are going to be down in the wake of an Earth-devastating sun flare. Complete idiots. This is why modern movies are so boring. There's no intelligence _or_ realism."

"I don't know," Barry said with a small smile. "It must have been a little realistic. Those jump-scares sure got you."

"Barely."

"Still."

"They got you too."

"I think more got you, than me."

"I suppose we should have kept score. Besides, jump-scares don't cause actual fear. Jump-scares are a sudden visual and auditory spike which causes an instinctual, reflexive, physical response and a release of adrenaline in the brain, which is completely different than being frightened. It's like how a person blinks when you snap your fingers in front of their eyes. There is no added realism with jump-scares."

Barry laughed. "Thawne, you are taking this way too seriously."

Eobard realized he was right. "Yeah, probably..." He raised an eyebrow, a nagging curiosity biting at him. "So, this makes you feel better about _us_? Dinner, dancing, and awful movies?"

Barry dropped his head back, giving an annoyed huff. "Why can't we do this without you bringing that up?"

"I'm curious, that's why."

Barry locked onto his gaze. "Have you ever dated anybody, Thawne?"

"Not since college... I don't see how that's relevant?"

"Well, to refresh your memory, when two people are together, they do things together for the purpose of _fun_. Tell me you didn't have fun tonight? Or last night, when we danced? That's why I'm doing this, for fun."

Eobard said nothing for a moment, then, "I'm not _actually_ dating you, Mr. Allen."

"Yes, you are. You said you would let me do this."

"I told you I would...do these activities with you, not that we were dating."

"Oh, okay, well this is what people do when they date. A rose by any other name..."

"But you- The deal we have..." Eobard trailed off and exhaled. "You are impossible." He leaned back in his own seat, too.

"You know, I don't remember my last date," Barry said out of nowhere, voice distant with thoughts. "I don't even really know if I've had any since..."

"Since Iris died?" Eobard guessed.

There was a pause. "Yeah… If I've had any other dates, they were forgettable, I guess."

“So...no one at all?”

Barry looked up to the presentation platform. “No one special. I’ve worked with hundreds of people over the years, some for longer periods of time than others. I distinctly remember that there were some people who...developed feelings for me. Some even asked for more than to pine from afar, but I just...never reciprocated those feelings.”

“Until now.” It wasn’t a question because Eobard already knew the answer.

“Until now…” Barry abruptly settled forward, elbows on the armrests of his seat. “But..it’s...so weird. It didn’t occur to me until recently, but...I’ve always felt drawn to you - even before all of this…”

“What?” Eobard asked now, struggling to register _that_ statement.

“Not like _that_ ,” Barry said quickly. “It wasn’t lust or a crush. And I'm also not talking about admiration or respect or trust. It was more. When I first met you... I got this feeling in my gut, like I'd always known you... Familiarity… And every time I met you since, whether it be in battle or not. Whether you were Harrison Wells...or you… Even though I hated you so much... I’ve always felt this strange...comfort. The kind that only comes with stability. Everything in my life...it always eventually moved on. But you never did. You always came running back to me... And you always will... And that feeling it leaves me with - I still have no idea what I'd even begin to call it. It doesn't matter how long I live...I know you'll always be a part of me, whatever form that takes - obsessed fan, caring mentor, creepy stalker, mortal enemy, or enemy-with-benefits..." He exhaled. "And maybe even eventually...one day - a lover.” He stiffened. "I mean - I didn't mean to say that last part. It just...slipped out... I wasn't trying...to...say... Sorry." He shrugged hard, staring dead ahead as though he couldn't bring himself to meet Eobard's gaze, to meet the response that would be in his eyes.

Reverse Flash stared at the back of his head from where he leaned, mind blanking out for several long moments. He couldn't form a single response.

Barry had...imagined them as...lovers?

Absurd.

Ridiculous.

Insane.

And a million other words that could describe that.

Several long minutes passed.

He should say something. Anything. Anything to disperse this aura of awkwardness, but nothing came to him.

“So, um, yeah,” Barry broke the tension, “you’re the first person I’ve agreed to pursue any intimacy with since my wife, is basically what I'm saying.” His foot scuffed at the carpet.

Eobard’s thoughts unfroze. "That has been quite a long time... How do you know you're dating correctly, anyway?"

"Because I'm enjoying it. That's how I know."

Eobard wasn’t sure why he felt a sudden wash of warmth in his chest at those words.

“What about you?” Barry asked, finally turning to meet his gaze. “Who was the last person _you_ dated? I mean, I figured if you already know so much about my love life, I may as well know about yours.”

Eobard shifted, shoving away unwanted thoughts _that_ question dredged up. “Dating...is a childish thing to me, Barry. My last date was almost thirty years ago if you want to include my time in the twenty-first century.”

“You haven’t been with _anybody_ since?”

“Let me rephrase that. I haven’t _dated_ anyone. Doesn’t mean that I didn’t have intimacy in my life.”

“Ah,” Barry said with a knowing nod, “Lust without love, right? You have no interest in the mess that comes with caring about someone, do you?”

“Considering that the last time I bothered to care in that _way_ , and it didn’t end so well, then yeah - I suppose that’s true.”

“So you’re last attempt to love someone intimately got you betrayed.”

“Yeah,” Eobard responded, focusing on the ceiling with sudden interest. “After that...concepts of love became...too pricey for me. Why let yourself become that vulnerable? I wondered. Why give someone that level of power over you. You can never truly trust anyone, Barry. We all live for ourselves first and foremost.”

“That’s not true,” responded Allen with stubbornness. “Some of us live for others.”

“What? Like you?” Eobard snorted. “And what happens when that person is gone? Because everyone leaves at some point, maybe they die, or someone better comes along, or they just lose interest...”

“You carry on,” Barry murmured, “keep going, and hope you find someone else to live for, to be crazy about.” He tilted his head. “Speaking of moving on… You never moved on from _me_ , did you? You never forgave me. You let hatred consume you for what my other self did to you.”

“The war _will_ end, Barry,” Eobard said, mouth feeling dry, “And when it does, I’ll finally be able to move on. It may not be soon, but it _will_ happen. All things change.”

Barry shifted back, but said nothing.

A new thought occurred to Eobard. He finally looked at Barry. "How do you plan on...?" He hesitated.

"On what?"

"Telling Cisco, about this. About...us..." A million ideas of how the metahuman would respond to that knowledge ran through his mind, and none of them were pleasant.

"I don't."

"Come on, Barry, he’s almost as smart as I am. He’ll figure it out sooner or later, especially considering he can literally vibe _everything_."

"Well, I don't plan on telling him about us… This thing between us won’t last, so there’s no reason to piss him off over it… And if he finds out… Well, he'll just have to forgive me in his own time. It's not like he's never been pissed off at a decision I've made.”

Eobard replied, "he _did_ threaten to move back to Central City."

"He does that every time," Barry laughed. Then, the amusement faded. "I think the history we've had here is too much for him... Too painful. I don't think he ever fully came to terms with all the people we lost."

Eobard looked away, feeling a stab of sympathy for Cisco. “But you did?”

“Yeah… Eventually, anyway…”

Another pause. "So, Eobard, what do you like to do in your free time?"

"I've been getting on the internet often - and looking into bringing this place back up to how it should be, too."

"I meant, before _us._ Before you were forced to help me. What did you do in your free time besides be the Reverse Flash? How did you have fun?"

"Well," Eobard replied, thinking hard, trying to recall _that_ life. "I used to have a job...but in my free time, which wasn't much, I read, I listened to music. Played games on the net like chess… I worked on riddles, ectera…” He frowned, sudden uncertainty washing over him. “Why do you want to know?"

"I want you to decide what we do on our next date."

Eobard held in the sigh that threatened to escape. "I was going to say no...but I'm not getting out of deciding on this, am I?"

"Nope."

"Fine. Let me think about it. I'll tell you tomorrow."

"Fair enough."

* * *

Eobard erased at the board furiously, wiping out an equation that apparently did not hold the answer he was looking for. He paused, realizing he wasn't sure what he'd even written. He looked to the other scrawled series of letters and numbers, a sigh escaping him. After a moment, he wrote again. This, however, did not hold an answer. Not to the problem here, or to...the other problem…

_Barry._

With the nagging thought of the other speedster, he lowered the marker. He turned, reluctant, but knowing he could no longer ignore these thoughts coming back to him. "You got me thinking last night."

"About?" the hero replied, leaning back in his chair.

"About...what I used to do, before I became obsessed with our...little war."

"And what was that?"

"Basically, I think I know a place we can go to...if I _must_ choose. One place, anyway. It's nothing...major... But it may hold the appeal you're looking for."

"Alright. Are you going to tell me, or is this a surprise?"

"It's...a surprise. I'll just take you there later tonight."

"Sounds good." Barry stood, moved around the table and crossed over to the board. "I see you've been looking into those files you mentioned."

"Yeah." He shrugged. "I'm mostly treading water until I get some replies from those people I contacted. Let's see if after all these years, we can get some scientists back in here. That'll be nice."

"So what job did you have before?" Barry asked, looking over the equations.

Eobard half-wondered if any of them made sense. From Barry's expression, he wasn't convinced.

He forced his attention back to the conversation at hand. "I worked at a few different places. Last job was at a laboratory not unlike this one...but I got laid off when the company took a hit during the most recent depression. Gave up on a solid career after that. Being the Reverse Flash became more important to me, anyway. It was how it was. I spent years at college and wound up with nothing...but becoming a speedster...that was something." Eobard wrote something on the board, trying to ignore Barry's gaze following his writing.

He started to open his mouth to retort at him, agitated by the other's close attention to his work.

There was a ping.

He stopped.

"Hmm." Eobard turned and moved over to the terminal, flipping up the projection. The sudden rush of pride he felt was unexpected. "Look at that - _success_. I told you I could do it, Flash. Two interviews booked for this week."

"And if we don't defeat the Time Demon, those potential new-hires might lose their boss before their first day of work," Barry pointed out.

Eobard shot him a look. "That thing won't defeat us, together, with Cisco's gun. It won't stand a chance."

"That's a lot of bravado, even for you, Thawne."

"My philosophy, Barry, is that as long as I'm breathing in this moment, I will continue living my life as if I will keep breathing."

The other shrugged. "I'll leave it up to you, then."

Eobard exhaled, becoming more solemn as he stared at the projection. "I do suppose...that I am feeling a little good today... Maybe a bit unrealistically so... Well, I should probably change the interview dates to the week after...just to be sure..." He moved back to the terminal, typing on it.

Barry started, "that's-"

The crime-in-progress alarm went off. Barry supersped to his table, looking at one of the screens there. "Looks like a robbery. Gotta go." He vanished in a burst of Speed Force.

Eobard confirmed the interview dates for the week after the nexus, nodding to himself at the decision. He returned to the board, his head a little more clearer without the Flash scrutinizing his work. Still, there was a certain eagerness in his gut that could not be ignored. As much as he hated admitting it, even in to himself, he was looking forward to tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, that chapter got long. Anyway, hope there wasn't too many typos. I'm a bit tired right now. X)


	29. Drinks and Temptation

Eobard stepped through the automatic doors, serene music washing over his eardrums as he entered the building. His eyes flicked over the sophisticated architecture, the familiar white walls with abstract paintings, the exotic and colorful plants framing the soft entrance carpet. He inhaled perfectly-conditioned air, just the right temperature and humidity, carrying the faint scent of sweet flowers like springtime. He exhaled, relaxed, almost comforted to return here. It'd been too long.

"Are you sure you have the right place?" Barry's voice carried a note of uncertainty. He brushed one of the plants with his fingertips as if he thought he might break it if he weren't careful enough. "Speedsters can't really make much use of alcohol...plus, this looks rather...expensive..."

“I _am_ rich, or did you forget that detail.” Eobard chuckled, looking at his confused expression. "Come on, Barry, you'll see soon enough." He gestured and strode further into the establishment.

“Alright.”

The two of them made their way through a maze of white tables and booths, some shaded with dividers for privacy. Here and there a few people sat, their gaudy attire marking high-status as they laughed raucously or murmured quietly. A bar was on the far side, the long counter being tended by a single woman in a standard gray, work outfit. A single spot of color lay on her collar, a ruby that was rich orange red. Eobard slipped into a seat, leaning forward and clasping his hands, elbows on the unmarred white surface.

The woman hadn't noticed him yet.

"Terra," he greeted.

She turned from where she was arranging fancy bottles, her eyes locking onto them appraisingly. She narrowed them, an expression of disbelief appearing on her face. "Eobard?" She asked. "Is it... It's really you!" She strolled over. "I can't believe it!"

"Hello to you, too."

"Apologies - hello," she said. Then, her expression turned solemn. "I heard what happened to your parents, Eobard. I'm so sorry. Are you alright?"

"Thank you," he responded. "I'm not quite alright yet...but I will be."

She turned her gaze to Barry. "And who's your cute friend?"

"Barry Allen," he introduced himself, shaking her hand.

"You aren't too busy tonight," Eobard commented.

"Never are on Mondays."

"Good to see you're still working here."

"Where else would I work? This place is perfect for me."

"I'm sorry," Barry interjected, "are you friends with Eobard?"

"Friends?" She laughed. "You have met this guy, right? No, I'd say...hm, _acquaintances._ He used to come here so much, we just started chatting about whatever. It's been years, though. Where've you been, Eobard?"

"Traveling, running, trying new things" Eobard exhaled. "I don't know, I guess I needed a change."

"Well, the good thing is that you finally came back." She braced herself on her side of the counter, attentive. "So, what can I get you gentlemen? I assume you're here for more than a chat."

"Barry?" Eobard gestured.

"You know, I should probably just-" Barry started.

"Humor me," Eobard cut him off before he could order a club soda. That'd be no good.

"Fine." Barry sighed and his gaze drifted to the menu.

Terra raised an eyebrow.

"He's not much of a drinker," Eobard informed her with a slight shrug.

"Ah."

"Uhh...." Barry blinked. "I guess I'll start...somewhere... How about the...?" his eyes caught something. He gave a small laugh. "What is a _Flash_? I thought that was a coffee?"

She chuckled. "Barry, I can assure you half the merchandise in Central City has had the red speedster's name slapped on it. Talk about greedy companies trying to make a profit off another man's honest work. The Flash should have had his logo and name copyrighted; he'd be pretty rich right now."

" _That_ must really stroke his ego," Eobard commented, staring right at Barry, "being so popular and all."

"I doubt it," Barry returned. He grinned one of his more wicked and rare grins. "Sock it to me, Terra. I'll take one of those."

"If you don't drink much..." she started.

"I'll be fine," he assured.

"Okay. I'll warn you though - it's said to knock you out in a _flash_." She winked. "What about you, Eobard? The usual? I actually remember it."

"Yeah. The usual."

"The Wicked Cider. With salt," she checked.

"Yep."

She walked away.

"You are way more egotistical than you'll admit," Reverse murmured so she wouldn't overhear as she mixed. "You saw that name and _couldn't_ resist. I told you - you are narcissistic."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Barry said. "Everything there looks well beyond me. I figured I'd stick to something close to home."

Eobard narrowed his eyes. "Yourself, you mean."

"It's just a drink. Chill out..." The Flash changed the subject, "so how does this work? I'm just supposed to...pretend to pass out after drinking it, or what?"

" _This_ ," Eobard replied, pulling two vials out of his pocket and placing them on the countertop, "....is how it works." He let himself grin at the expression that fell over the other man's features.

"What's...that?" he pointed, wary.

"Well this...this is just a wonderful little thing I developed for the hell of it. It wasn't long after I got my powers... Actually, I got the idea from the original you… Funny how my changes to the timeline stopped you from developing it, too. Anyway, it basically lets speedsters get a buzz.”

"Really?" Barry replied doubtfully. "How do I know this isn't some subtle form of you drugging me?"

Eobard burst into a genuine laugh. He shook his head. "It may feel like that if you haven't had a buzz in a hundred years. It's on you, Flash. If you don't trust me, you shouldn't have let me choose our date site." He put his chin in his hands and looked at Barry in an almost playful manner. "So, I suppose it really just depends on whether you trust me or not."

"I'm willing to take the risk." Barry grabbed the vial, lifting it up and examining the clear fluid in it. "How does it work, anyway?"

Eobard knew he shouldn't have been surprised by the lack of hesitation, but he still was. "Slows our metabolism down by three hundred percent for about twenty-four hours. While it's active, if you get stabbed, you'll bleed to death. No super-healing. I wouldn't recommend using it a lot, either. And don't tap into the Speed Force with it in your system - unless you _do_ get stabbed. You'll jumpstart your metabolism again and any buzz - or stab wounds - you have will go away."

"Okay," Barry said, nodding with understanding. "No speed tonight. I can manage that."

Eobard sat up and seized his own. "Cheers."

They tapped their vials, popped the caps, and downed them.

After a few moments, Barry said, "that feels...not that different. Maybe...slower."

"Unfortunately, slower metabolism means less energy."

Terra walked over, placing the drinks on the counter. "Here you go."

"Thank you," Eobard said. Barry echoed the sentiment.

"Enjoy," she replied.

They left the counter, moving to an old-fashioned dartboard in a twenty-first century game area that was well out of earshot of any other patrons. "No speed," Eobard reminded.

"Unless there's a crime that I have to stop."

"I don't suppose you could take a night off? It'll be very hard explaining to Terra how you aren't passed out when you order Flash number two. You look like a lightweight."

He rolled his eyes in exasperation. "We'll see." He took a sip, wincing. "Wow. It has been _a while_." Still, there was a half-smile of amusement on his face.

Eobard chuckled. "Yeah. You _were_ warned, though."

"Alright, Thawne. You're on. I'll kick your ass." He stopped, eyes growing distant. "You want to know something funny? I played darts with an ancestor of yours, once."

"You mean Eddie Thwane, useless Thawne number fifty-seven out of a thousand plus?"

" _Hey_ , it’s not nice to speak ill of the dead.”

“I thought you already knew - I’m not a nice guy. Besides, he's been dead for almost two centuries now.”

"You know, if it weren't for him, you wouldn't even exist right now to complain."

Eobard conceded that point. "True. I guess there was _something_ useful about him, after all."

Barry sighed. “Eddie. All of that feels like a thousand years ago." He picked up a dart. "Well, I didn't come here to be nostalgic. Round one, Professor Thawne." He paused. “Why _does_ Gideon call you professor, anyway?”

Eobard sipped at his own drink, enjoying the tang of salt combined with the thick sweetness of the alcoholic cider. “It has a nice ring to it. And I _was_ a professor of theoretical science at one point. Taught at a university for a few years… Like I said before, I've had a few different jobs, but no career ever suited me, ever amounted to the potential I _knew_ I had. I was never going to make a name for myself as Eobard Thawne.”

“So...Reverse Flash was your solution to that?”

“The solution, was to be a superhero, but I already told you how well that went. Reverse Flash was the solution to the superhero failure.”

“It’s never too late to be what you wanted to be.” Barry gave him another smile, but it was a new one - one that made Eobard feel suddenly like he was the only person in the world besides this other man.

He pushed away that notion, because it was pure silliness. “And yet, I find the appeal in heroics to be rather lacking now.” Eobard looked down at his fancy glass, staring at the rose pattern engraved in the side. He traced it absently with his thumb.

“But you keep occasionally helping me. It must have _some_ appeal.”

“Boredom is a strong motivator, Allen. ”

“I don’t rob banks or blow up buildings when I’m bored,” Barry shot back. “So why should you do good when _you_ are…”

“ _Do_ you want me to rob banks and blow buildings up instead?”

Allen let out a short puff of air. “Yeah, okay, fine. Avoid my entire point, why don’t you?”

Thawne felt creeping realization tinged with the faintest hint of horror. There was some truth to what Barry was saying. What did it matter, though? It'd all go away one day, sooner or later... “And besides,” he heard himself saying, “I made a promise to you that I wouldn’t murder anyone else because I’m not interested in being locked up for Time Demon to kill. I kind of figured general villainy went alongside the no-killing thing.”

“You were helping before I made you promise that.”

True.

Eobard Thawne ran out of excuses for helping the Hero of Central City. He took a drink instead of saying anything.

From his peripheral vision, he saw Barry shake his head and turn away. He looked up to see him make the first throw. The dart hit close to the middle. "Not too bad," he commented.

"Maybe I should get some throwing stars, to take down criminals. They'd never see it coming."

"You’re accuracy is wanting. Allen. You'd probably accidently kill a lot more people. Trying to hit that magic number?" Eobard grabbed his own dart. He paused. "Did get that recorded? Your throw?"

"Keeping score? Alright." Barry looked around, uncertain. “How do you propose we do that?"

“It’s quite simple,” Eobard replied with smugness. “Gideon. Please keep score.”

“Yes, Professor Thawne.”

“Of course you have _her_ do it.” He took another drink of the beverage in his hands, wincing. "You have her do everything."

Eobard also drank and said, "it's time to show you who is superior at all things, Flash - including darts."

"Oh, yeah, sure."

Eobard's dart struck closer to the center. "Rough start, Mr. Allen. It's okay - at least it's not the end of the world."

"It's just one dart, and we've got all night... We'll see."

* * *

Barry's dart missed the entire board by about five inches, glancing off the wall to clatter on the floor. "Woooowwww, that was really, really _, really_ bad." He chuckled, dropping to the nearby booth. He drained the remainder of his glass.

"Are you even trying anymore?" Eobard launched his own dart. It thudded into the target, right in the soft, red middle.

"What is it with you?" Barry asked, face scrunched into a serious frown. "It’s like you _never_ miss. Are you even human - well, _metahuman?_ ...You know what I mean."

"You’re drunk, and even if you weren’t - I'm about consistency. You, not so much. You're about getting lucky. Face it, Flash, you are terrible at this."

"Something tells me...that you spent years here, in secret...becoming a master of darts just to beat me, here and now... You and you're grand evil schemes...wouldn't surprise me..."

"If so, it was unintentional. Come on - just admit it, I'm better at darts."

"Fine... At darts," came the dragging reply. "Fighting, though, that's something else... You know I can mop the floor with that sorry yellow suit any day."

Eobard chortled. "Yeah. Sure. Dream on, Barry Allen."

"Well, I'm faster than you...and even if I weren't, I would win with my sheer..." he paused, confused. "Whatever. You have no idea how many metas I've beaten up."

"I'm sure I have no clue... Besides, if you knew our other timeline," Eobard replied. "You'd know I've knocked you on your ass plenty of times." Maybe that was a bit more of an indulgent lie than he'd like to admit. True, he _had_ gotten to a point where he could keep up with that Flash, but he was certain that the actual ass-kicking ratio still weighed in the original Scarlet Speedster's favor, a small fact that rankled. Still, he'd never been captured by that Flash, and that was a truth he was proud of all by itself.

Barry's voice broke into his thoughts, "and I just have _your_ word for it." He shook his head, silent for only a few seconds. “Why is there black on your suit, anyway? You know, like the entire bottom half of the suit is just...like, black… I mean, the upper part's yellow...then...below it's just black. Like...without warning. Are you trying to be a bee? Heh, a bee...”

“If you must know - I wanted to represent the blood that splattered all over me when I first murdered, but red was just too bright for my taste, and too reminiscent of you. My suit's design did not come from my future self, either, actually. His was almost all yellow, except for the emblem and a few bolts here and there, which were black.”

Allen grimaced. "I don't feel so well. Maybe I..." He sat up straighter in his seat. "Where are the restrooms?"

Eobard sighed and stood from the booth. "And the inevitable has happened... This way, Mr. Allen." He gestured.

"Thanks so much, sweetheart."

“If you say that again, I’ll strangle you.”

After he had shown Barry, Eobard returned to the table, putting away the darts and tapping his holoblock to pay the bill.

When the other returned several minutes later, Eobard handed him a water he'd collected from Terra after explaining the situation. Barry drank at it, sighing. "That helped."

Eobard folded his arms, frowning at the other's state. He should have made him get something lighter on the menu. The Flash was pretty notorious for its knockdown capabilities. Oh well. Too late now. "We should go," he said, taking control of the situation. "It's late."

"We should go?"

"Yes."

"Did I win?"

"No."

“Are you sure?”

_Patience._ “Yes, I’m sure.”

" _Liar,_ " Barry returned, shaking his head. He winced, then rubbed his temples. "You are such a liar, Eo.”

"Don't you dare call me that."

"Bard?"

"Just as terrible.”

"Evil?"

"No."

“Gideon, what’s the score?"

“Twelve to fifty, Mr. Allen.”

“So you’re in on this conspiracy too, Gideon?”

“I don’t understand the question.”

Eobard frowned harder. “Ignore him, Gideon. He is inebriated and incomprehensible.” He grabbed the other's arm, dragging him for the door. "Let's go before something bad happens."

If only any random person in this city could see the formidable and mighty Flash now, barely able to stand after consuming a drink with his own name on it. What would they think of their precious hero? Would they laugh in sympathy, or would they turn away in condescendence and disappointment? The Reverse Flash shook his head and rolled his eyes, recalling another Flash, one who had invented the drug that allowed a speedster to get drunk. That man could hold his liquor. Eobard supposed he should admit that there were a _few_ differences between this Barry Allen and that other one.

* * *

The two made their way into the STAR Labs facility, crossing the former lobby which was dark and empty. Eobard looked dead ahead and pressed the button for the elevator. He forced himself to stare at nothing but the silver doors. He made himself ignore the speedster next to him. The drunk idiot had lost all control over his emotional veil and his molecules vibrated like they'd had too much caffeine, even though he hadn't tapped into the Speed Force even once. It didn't make sense to Eobard, though he figured it had more to do with unbridled emotion rather than physical energy or movement.

God, whatever it was, it was distracting. Eobard clenched his jaw, fingers folding into fists in the pockets of his coat. Just a few more minutes, and he'd be rid of the other, he reminded himself, thinking of returning to his room, sitting in the dark.

Alone.

By himself.

_Not a good line of thinking, Eobard._

The elevator pinged open. The two of them walked in. Barry leaned on the handle inside, eyes half-lidded. Eobard kept himself to the other corner. He glared at the floor, letting his annoyance keep him in check.

Barry's hand rummaged in his pocket and he pulled out his block. He squinted at its projection. "It's one?"

"Yeah," Eobard said,  "It's one A.M."

"Good thing I don't work tomorrow," Allen said, leaning against the wall as if it were the only thing in the world keeping him up. "This is going to be a hangover."

"Superspeed will help. But if you aren't wanting to give up that good feeling just yet, you should wait until morning." What was he saying? He berated himself the instant the words left his lips. "Or, you know, you can save yourself the trouble and tap into the Speed Force now."

No answer.

Not good.

His heart beat faster. _Just keep calm_. A few more steps, and the danger would pass.

Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Why had he done this? What was he thinking, getting Barry drunk like this?

_Just like..._

He was hit with a terrible curiosity if some part of him had done this on purpose, had wanted to get Barry out of his mind...

Surely not.

In another ping, the elevator halted. They stepped out.

Almost there.

"You know, Eobard, you _are_ very handsome," Barry announced behind him.

Eobard froze. He hadn't expected _that_. He could only attribute it to the other's current state of mind. He turned around, even though he knew he should have kept walking. He should have ignored Allen. But the vanity in him was elated the Flash had just called him handsome. "Really? You genuinely think that?"

"Yes."

Barry closed the distance between them, kissing him. Thawne made a slight noise at the invasiveness of the kiss, the way the hands clasped his sides, the way his opposite pressed against him with his entire body. He let himself fall into it. His thoughts folded into themselves at the heady mixture of a buzz, of being against Barry, of his vibrating molecules and of their shared desire in that wondrous moment. He pushed back against the mouth, eyes shutting. Oh, how he wanted to lose himself into this feeling forever.

Hands slid up his back. His heartbeat shifted into a faster rhythm.

_Stop this... I know you don’t want it like this._ That voice from a tense set of lips echoed in his head, and Eobard remembered wary eyes watching him with a mixture of defiance, anger, uncertainty, and possibly some fear. The memory of the look sickened him, brought a realization to his mind of how close he'd came to doing something terrible. Something he could still do.

He broke the kiss off. " _Barry_ ," he warned.

"You want me, Thawne. Have me," the Flash murmured in a silky tone. Somehow, he seemed to force himself closer, hands moving down, now, showing no sign of letting go. Damn, this was so not good...and yet, it was, fingers digging into his thighs, hips crushed against his. "I don't know why I waited...but I don't want to even a second longer."

Conversely, the Reverse Flash's mind echoed words already heard from Barry. _Eobard.._. _I know you’re better than this..._

His conflicting emotions collided inside of him.

Every cell in his body longed to respond with a similar lack of self-control as Barry. He longed to lean forward, to kiss again, to push his tongue past the other's lips. He longed to force the other to the wall without even a millimeter of space between them. He longed to rip his clothes away with a satisfying shredding, to tear him from the dark red tunic and have his pale skin stark against the metallic surface. He longed for the Flash to be that vulnerable to him, nothing hidden as lust burned in his eyes. He longed for the man to gasp his name into his ear, to beg him, to give in to him.

And then he'd fill him and pleasure him and have him screaming all night long if he wished.

He  _burned_ for it - for the Flash to surrender to him, and only him.

He felt dizzy.

_But...this is not surrender,_ he knew.  _He was right. This isn't how I want this._

Eobard seized his wrists, stopping the hands' progress on himself, stopping the fantasizing in his own mind. He took a deep breath, steadying himself, and shook his head, determination filling him. "Stop it. You're drunk, Bartholomew."

"So? And don't call me that..."

"While I'm certain you would enjoy it very much, _Bartholomew_ , I have no wish to take advantage of you."

"I don't mind," came the reply, showing the first hints of irritation now. "Why do you?"

"Oh, you would. Trust me. If I took advantage of you tonight, the you that wakes up tomorrow wouldn't be too happy about it."

"I'll be fine... And I thought you wanted me?"

"Not like this." Eobard gritted his teeth, wanting to fling the idiot across the room for putting him in such a difficult position. Good. Aggravation was good. Aggravation would keep both of their clothes on. Hopefully.

For a moment, they glared at each other.

Barry muttered first, "whatever, I don't want to argue... I have a headache now." He pulled away, and Eobard was given the impression of strong tape being pulled off at the way the other did so with extreme reluctance.

He almost sighed aloud in relief, yet it was also coupled with the urge to shout in utter frustration. He held it all in, ensuring he didn't react at all. He kept his scowl in place until Allen turned and strolled down the hallway. When he was out of sight, Eobard shuddered, slumping his shoulders. He was dismayed to know that it would have been _so_ easy - so, so, so stupidly easy to do something he would have regretted. Why did Allen get to push his limits without any effort and walk away unscathed? It wasn't fair.

_Patience. If nothing else, this display just proved how much he truly wants me. He has to come around soon. He has to. Then, I don't have to worry about resisting anymore... It's all a matter of time, now._


	30. Trust Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm just leaving this note to let you guys know there was a minor goof in one of my previous chapters. In the Movie Night chapter, Eobard says that he hasn't had a date in almost forty years. After looking through my timeline and dates and re-calculating his age, I realized this wasn't very accurate. I changed it to thirty, which is more accurate. It's closer to twenty-five years, though, but oh well...

The following morning, Eobard waited for Barry by the coffee pot, sipping at a mug of rich liquid. Legs crossed, he leaned against the old breakroom table. He thought of nothing and focused on keeping his mind blank. Though he didn't know how long it took, it felt like an hour passed before Barry dragged in, hair disarrayed, pajamas rumpled, blinking against the light as though he were pained - which he almost certainly was, the Reverse thought.

"Tap into the Speed Force," Eobard advised. "It'll help diminish the hangover." He took a sip of warm coffee.

Barry winced, but Eobard saw electricity run through his eyes as he followed the advice. His voice was thick with sleep when he said, "maybe we could...wait to talk about...everything...until it does..." He poured coffee into a clean mug, spilling a little. He didn't seem to notice. He grabbed his morning dose of caffeine, turned, and walked out of the kitchen. In silence, they made their way to the cortex. Barry sat heavily in his usual chair, drinking quietly.

If Eobard wasn't already feeling annoyed, he may have been amused by the other's state of being. He moved to his own seat and traversed across the internet via a console.

A few minutes ticked by in silence, then Barry ended it, saying, "yeah, you're right. I'm feeling quite a bit better now." He sighed in what may have been relief.

Eobard knew now was as good a time as any to broach the subject on his mind. He turned his chair to face away from the terminal he was on, his attention affixing onto Barry. "How much do you remember of last night?"

"Not a lot. There were drinks, darts, and..." He shook his head. "Yeah, I don't really remember much."

_Of course, not only does he get away with pushing my limits, but he also gets to forget about it..._  However, Eobard shoved down his irritation the best he could and stood, approaching the desk where Barry sat. "Well, Mr. Allen, you had a _lot_ of fun, in case you can't recall. And fun is exactly what you insisted on us having." He paused before the table, keeping eye-contact with the Flash.

"I know that much," Barry said. "Did _you_ have fun, too?"

"Oh yes," Eobard replied with a tight smile. "Loads. In fact, everything was going swimmingly until we got back to STAR Labs..." He took a drink of his bitter liquid. "You were so drunk by then, you proceeded to offer yourself to me in quite a physical manner... That was really _something_..."

Barry closed his eyes, leaning back and rubbing his temples as though stressed. Eobard sensed all of the resignation there, but he need not have bothered looking for it in the other speedster's emotions. His tone was enough. "I...remember now... You didn't take advantage of me, though..."

"No, but now I'm starting to wish I had… Just be glad that I watched how much _I_ drank, or we’d be having an entirely different conversation right now..." Eobard felt his irritation threatening to morph into full anger.

"I am grateful for your self-control. I didn't mean to get into that state... I'm sorry I put you in that position." He sighed. "But thank you for holding back."

He wasn't mocking in any way. There was genuine appreciation there. Eobard felt a surge of white-hot fire run through his veins. He slammed a fist against the table, gritting his teeth.

Barry didn't even blink. "Temper, much?"

"Don't apologize or thank me, Flash," the Reverse hissed. "This isn't about me being nice, and I certainly don't want your compunction, your gratitude, or your approval. No, I held back last night - when I _really_ didn't want to - because I'd rather have you one hundred percent. This you. The one that I've battled with for years, the one that made the decision to become the Flash. I'm not having you if you’re only operating at thirty percent as a drunken moron. That is hardly a victory."

"That's...good to know."

"I don't suppose you understand my frustration," Eobard spoke each word with rough emotion. "So, let me enlighten you. I've been holding up my end of our deal _flawlessly_ . Last night proved it. In all honesty, _I_ -" He barked a short laugh, "-am truly impressed with my level of self-control. You-" he jabbed a finger at the other, "-you're just doing whatever the hell you're doing - playing around with these...dates. You have had it so _easy_...  I guess what I wonder is, how do I know this isn't a farce? When, exactly, do you intend to uphold your end of our bargain?"

Barry exhaled. His face became expressionless in an instant, maybe even somewhat guarded. "Last night, I trusted you. I've trusted you from the moment I decided to pursue this. Even before that, when I was forced to."

"You're far _too_ trusting," Eobard muttered, sitting his coffee mug down, "considering that my goal for the past several years has been to end your life."

"But lately, you've shown me there's more to you than that," Barry said with a hint of determination. "You said it yourself, that last night proved it... That night you refused to try and take me against my will proved it. Not just self-restraint...but, something else...goodness and morality; there _is_ good in you, Eobard. You're not a monster."

Eobard ran a hand through his hair. He knew arguing about that statement would be useless. "What is your point, Allen?"

"My point is that I trusted you for a good reason...and now I'm asking you to trust _me_. If you really think I'm just stringing you along, then take what you want when you're ready...and I won't even fight you... But if you do, this thing between us will be over and done." Barry's voice was grim but firm. "For good. I won't be able to trust you anymore, so I won't ever be able to be with you like that willingly. So, which Eobard are you really? The man who saved my life? Or the man who's been trying so hard to end it?"

Eobard's fingers clenched the table. "You _are_  arrogant, Flash, to make such a statement. You _don't_ know me."

"Maybe not, but I know _myself_. I know what _I_ can and can't do." He exhaled again.

" _Are_ you just stringing me along?" Eobard snapped.

" _Am_ I?" Barry replied, sipping coffee. He lowered the cup to the desk and narrowed his eyes. "If you don't think I am, then I need you to do something for me, Thawne."

Eobard glared at him, tense. He grasped the table harder, hands aching. It was all of his self-restraint that kept him from saying something more hostile. "What...do you need me to do now? As if I haven't done _enough_..."

"Go away," Barry said. "For the day."

Eobard felt his eyebrow twitch. A tingling sensation flowed under his skin, electricity heating his blood. "What?" He laughed with incredulity. "I believe I misheard you, Allen... Go away?"

"Until tonight."

Reverse Flash leaned back, laughing even more, hands falling off the table. "Really? That's _all_? Should I pick up some necessities while I'm out?" His fists balled at his sides.

"Eobard, please."

He stilled at the plea, hating the way the words sounded. The tone and expression Barry used seemed to work. He found his anger dissolving under the other's expression which was no longer blank; it was imploring.

Barry stood and came around the table. Eobard tensed when he grabbed his hand, squeezing gently. "Please, trust me," he murmured, eyes shining.

They were beautiful.

Eobard stared into them, trying to come up with a logical way to resist the request. Emotions flooded him. "What... What...if you die tonight? What with Time Demon, and Darkstar, and-"

"I won't."

"You almost did the other day," argued the Reverse. "I shouldn't leave. Just in case. I'm not going to lose you after...well, everything I've gone through for our deal."

The hand squeezed his again, warm and steady. " _Trust me_."

Eobard realized himself, realized the way he was losing himself in those eyes again, realized the way he was letting himself be manipulated. He yanked his fingers back, folding his arms to prevent any further hand-holding. He scowled, but he knew it was forced, even now in the face of the other's obvious exploitation. "Fine. I'll _trust you_. I swear, though, if you make me regret this...well, let's just say I won't be the only one feeling that regret."

"I know, Eobard. Thank you."

Eobard was really starting to hate the rush of warmth that filled him when the Flash thanked him in that sincere way of his. "I'm assuming this will make sense later. I'll return at eight. Sound good to you, Allen?"

"That's fine."

He spun on his heel and marched out of the room.

* * *

Eobard ran out of the STAR Laboratories, tapping his ring. He became the Reverse Flash in a single instant. He dashed out of the empty lot as fast as he could. The world was a sluggish blur around him. Turmoil grew in his chest with each step.

_"Trust me..."_ Barry had asked of him.

Trust. Trust was not something he did with ease. Trust was not something he could do on command. He was not a puppet... And yet, he had done exactly what Allen had asked. _He is only doing this simply because he knows he can get away with it._ He ground his teeth. _Why? Why is he getting away with it? I am stronger than this, aren't I?_

He skidded to a halt in the middle of a grassy field miles away, his feet tearing gouges in the soft earth from the abrupt change in speed. The day was impressively nice for fall, sunny and almost balmy. He looked at distant, yellowing trees, thoughts coalescing as he breathed in the clean air smelling of grass and earth.

_It would be easy, Eobard,_ his mind whispered in the silence unbroken by either birdsong or rustling grass. _Easy to go back to STAR Labs._ _To take what you want. To reverse all of this. It was a mistake - letting this take a hold of you, letting it distract you, letting it consume you. You'll come to your senses then - in that single moment when the Flash looks at you, pain and resignation and betrayal filling his eyes. It'd make it so easy to hate him again, to kill him later..._

Eobard could see it clearly in his mind, the way it all ended with the Flash dying in his arms, fragile and vulnerable like he'd always known he truly was deep down...

_"Eobard, please."_

But he knew the truth.

_It_ _wouldn't be easy._

Because that plea made him want to do everything in his power to obey. Why? It was wrong. He was the Reverse Flash. He should have felt pleasure from hearing such begging. He should have been gratified that Barry wanted something from him, something that he should not have been willing to give. Instead, he should have given him exactly what he deserved...

But knowing there was something Barry wanted from him, knowing it was he who could and would give it, knowing that when he did, the other was happy. It felt... _good_... And he now realized that each time he had gone out of his way for Barry, the other's gaze had fallen on him with something never before known - unrestrained pride and true fondness. And it warmed him to his soul.

_Why? Why? Why? Why_ _should you care how he looks at you?_ _You're pathetic, letting yourself be so controlled, just like before!_

Eobard closed his eyes. _No, I'm not. This time is different. This time, I know the truth..._

_"This won't last... Nothing good or bad in my life has lasted. But I learned to deal with it by making the most of it... So you'll humor me, won't you?"_ He recalled the way Barry had stared into his eyes when he said those words, old sorrow and memories seeming to lurk in the dark dilations of his pupils... It'd made Eobard feel sympathy, he knew. It had made him feel longing, too.

_"Last night, I trusted you. I've trusted you from the moment I decided to pursue this. Even before that, when I was forced to..."_

Hadn't they _both_ given up something to each other recently? Even as Barry had asked of him, he knew the other had gifted to him in return...something undefinable. Something resembling a truth that he had been all too happy to ignore until now. Something that he didn't dare put a name to.

_"There_ is _good in you, Eobard. You're not a monster..."_

"I hate you, Bartholomew," Eobard muttered, staring into the blue sky. He inhaled, battering away those thoughts, uncertain what to do with himself. The only truth he knew that existed between them, was hatred. Hate. Barry hated him. He hated Barry. Deeply. Passionately. Intimately. Eternally. But was it hate, and hate alone, that he felt?

_"A rose by any other name..."_

How had Barry gotten into his head like this?

_"And maybe even eventually, one day - a lover.”_

He shook his head, the last remnants of his annoyance fading away.

His holoblock pinged. Mechanically, he picked it up, tapping it. “Yeah?” He asked, pulling his thoughts to the here and now.

They answered.

His eyes widened and he had barely pocketed the block before he burst into a run.

* * *

Eobard, now back in his regular clothing, rushed into the hospital room. Or rushed in as fast as normal, human speed would allow him to go. He moved to the bedside.

His sister turned her eyes to him. "Eo," she said, voice soft.

"Eis," he replied, sitting on the comfortable visitor's chair and grabbing her hand. He felt, for once in a long time, like fate was giving him a gift, no strings attached or hidden loops to jump through - just a pure, simple, wonderful gift. His sister had woken up, a moment he'd been more anxious for than he'd realized. She'd be fine, now. She'd soon be strong and healthy again, and her unwavering presence would fill the Thawne family home with ease. And she was safe. Larris was gone... "I am... _more_ than happy to see you awake, Sister," he said, giving her fingers a light squeeze. He wished he could express how much this one boon meant to him.

"Brother," she said. "I...cannot believe this happened..."

"I know," he replied. "I'm still trying to process it, too."

"The doctors said I've been unconscious for almost two weeks.... That's a long time."

"Yeah," he said. "It's been...rough... I was worried you wouldn't pull through. But you did, my strong sister."

"They're gone," she whispered. "Dad...Mom..." Tears leaked out of her eyes. "I guess it's good you were too busy to go to the symphony that night..."

Eobard squeezed her hand again. "I'll always be here, Sister."

"Thank you for visiting," she said, sniffling. "It helps... Jeromy was here not too long ago, but he had to leave for work... So, where is Barry? At work, too?"

"No, actually. He's..." Eobard started, then shrugged. Maybe the Flash was stopping a robber at this very second, or sitting at his desk, staring at the consoles, or hacking Gideon's commands - something Eobard would have to check later. Regardless, he couldn't begin to guess what Barry was doing now or why he'd sent him away in the manner that he had. "He had some things to do. Sorry he couldn't make it."

"It's okay. It's good you weren't alone when Mother and Father..." she trailed off, another wave of tears flowing down her face.

He pulled out his personal 3D printer and printed a tissue. He handed it to her. She smiled in appreciation. "Well," she murmured as she wiped her damp face, "I'm just grateful you had someone to help you get through the pain of losing Mom and Dad. I don't know what I'd do now without Jeromy... And I know Barry makes you happy, and that's what I want for you. I want you to love with all your heart, the way I do, to feel that joy and happiness, to feel complete."

_Barry makes you happy..._ He wanted to laugh at that, but he pushed the notion away. Eisla didn't have the first clue how much the reverse was true. Allen got under his skin, and she didn't know how much he wanted to punch his supposed 'boyfriend' at the moment. But that didn't need to be brought up now, or ever.  _Love with all your heart..._  she'd said.If he were being honest with himself, he almost felt bad for how much he'd deceived his sister into believing that he and Barry were lovers. Then again, it wasn't exactly hard to delude his sister when it came to the affairs of the heart. She was a romantic, after all. He hadn't even tried. She had insisted on believing in it in the first place; in a way, she'd started the lie herself.

Either way, it couldn't be helped at this point. It was a necessary and minor lie, especially when compared to the real truth he'd hidden from her.

He stayed by his sister's bedside sharing happy memories of their parents with her until the doctors insisted on him leaving a full three hours later so she could rest.

He felt better than he had in weeks.


	31. Two Halves Make a Whole

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woooweee, this chapter is SUPER long! It's definitely the longest I've written for this story so far. Not my longest chapter in the history of my writing, though, but close to it. Still, that was part of the reason it took me so long to get it posted. That, and my work decided this week was the perfect week for slave-driving me. :,) Plus, this is a very... _important_ chapter, so I made doubly-sure to put extra elbow-grease into it...
> 
> Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this one. *Smirks evilly*

Eobard looked at the projected screen of his holoblock.

_8:00 PM._

He didn't waste a single second more. He leapt to his feet, speeding back to STAR Labs as Reverse Flash.

He found Barry in the cortex, sitting on the floor just inside the medical bay, his feet on the ramp leading down. To Eobard's surprise, he wore his Flash suit, mask and all. He held what appeared to be a piece of cloth in his hands. Eobard moved across the room, leaning against the glass of the doorframe opposite of him.

"Barry," he said.

Flash looked up, blinking at him. "Eobard."

Eobard felt his breath hitch at the look in the other's eyes - pain. To his own astonishment, he was overcome with the desire to end it, to take the other into his arms and reassure him. "What's the matter?" he asked, stepping forward. He sat down next to Scarlet Speedster, uncertain what to do.

Barry held up the cloth for Eobard's benefit. The Reverse Flash noticed it was singed around the edges, most of it darkened with burns. However, he could tell it'd once been a pastel pink color.

"There was one day," Barry said, quiet, "that you set a fire that consumed several city blocks..."

"I remember that," Eobard replied with a nod.

"I couldn't put out a fire so large, so I got as many people out as I could...but I didn't save everyone." He blinked. "There was a child that...I couldn't get to fast enough...the ceiling collapsed, and..." he trailed off. "When the fires were finally extinguished, this was all I found of her." He shook his head. "I kept it, thinking it would...I don't know, help prevent it from happening again." He closed his eyes. "But no matter how fast I run, there will always be people I cannot save..." He turned to the Reverse.

Eobard couldn't bring himself to say anything at all. It was as if his vocal cords had frozen.

Barry muttered, "that girl - her name was Molly. She wanted to be a pilot, like her dad. And maybe that's what she'd be right now, if she hadn't..." He cleared his throat. "Her parents divorced a few weeks later. The father turned to drinking, winding up in jail for DUI and public intoxication, and the mother was submitted to mental rehabilitation by her sister for depression... And I felt responsible for what had happened to them. Not just because I didn't reach their daughter in time, but because of _you_. That family paid the price for _our_ war."

The Reverse Flash inhaled slowly and exhaled just as slowly. His vocals unfroze, but the words that came out were difficult. "...Are you looking for an apology, Barry?"

He saw the man's pain intensify for just a brief moment, and he felt immediate guilt.

"I’m not that naïve," Barry whispered. He seemed to struggle to keep Eobard's gaze after that, frequently looking away when he spoke. "I know what you've done. Everything. All the horrible things. Things like that... But I...feel so...drawn to you... It shouldn't be, but it is... Before all of this," he gestured vaguely, "I thought I hated you..." He sighed. "This is so hard to say... I _did_ hate you, but it's all faded away. I just want to be with you in the way you've been asking... I really do. I want to see that there is good in you. I want it...but just because I want that to be true, doesn't mean it is. Maybe I'm just blinded by my desire to see the best in everyone, even you."

"Barry," Eobard said, shifting. He used his best persuasive tone. "It doesn't have to be that complicated. What happened, our war, whether there's good in me or not - in light of our deal, none of that matters."

"Yes, _it does_ ," Barry replied, voice strengthening with resolve. "I've been putting off my end of the deal because I thought _us_ doing normal things might change something. But, I don't know..." He looked down. "I know I'm not always the hero. I’ve done things I’m not proud of, made mistakes, compromised too much at times...but I know for a fact that I can't bend my moral compass _this_ far...."

He took a deep breath. "And I'm sorry, because no matter how _badly_ I may want to... I cannot bring myself to have sex with a man who kills innocents and destroys lives… It's not who I am."

Eobard stiffened.

Barry continued staring at the floor. "What's worse, Thawne - these things you do - you do because of something _I_ did to you. Or another me did. Somewhere under all that hate and resentment and malice, is a man who once came to me, looking for direction...and I, in turn, turned him into a monster somehow... I thought I could get through to the you who wanted to be a hero... And, well...I can't - I can't hate you anymore...but that's all I can offer you. I...I thought I could muster the courage to try and have something I wanted, to break the rules a little, especially knowing how much time there may actually be left to my life, if the Time Demon succeeds...but I can't. I can't bring myself to do it... I _am_ sorry, Eobard. If you need to take what is due to you, then take it. Like I said earlier, I won't fight or resist you, but this deal of ours ends there..." The burnt cloth dropped to the ground.

Eobard stared at the Flash. "So you _were_ stringing me along..."

"Unintentionally, if you can believe it. I thought...I thought I could...do this. I really thought I could..." His voice was strained and tinged with regret. "I _wish_ I could."

Eobard thought he would feel outraged. But he didn't. He felt... Well, he wasn't sure what he felt, and he didn't know what to do because of that. "I see. That's why you sent me away, to try and convince yourself to have what you wanted...but you couldn't. Your hero complex just wouldn't budge, huh?"

Barry still kept his gaze away from him. "Yes."

Eobard exhaled. "I should have figured this would happen from the start."

"I wanted to do something special for you, too, but...well, you know..." He wiped his eyes with single, quick sweep of his hand. "For what it's worth, Eobard, I am also sorry for what I did in that other timeline. I don't know why that version of me did it, but I wish he hadn't." Barry focused on him again, and his internal agony was unbearable to witness.

Eobard shifted _his_ gaze away this time.

"So," Barry whispered, seeming to be forcing his words, "what...are you...going to...do?"

The Reverse Flash wondered why he couldn't summon even the faintest sensation of anger. It should have been so easy. He'd been cheated in their deal. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't.

These past couple of weeks had revealed who Barry Allen truly was to him in a way that being trapped in the twenty-first century hadn't managed. He'd seen Barry, even then, as nothing more than the arrogant and cold hero that he would one day become, the one who had abandoned him on that blood-soaked street, no matter how much he'd come to feel like a real mentor for that young man at the time.

But Barry hadn't become that...

Not this Barry, anyway.

In that moment, Eobard saw a man who was simply that...human. A wonderfully-imperfect human, who wanted, who wished, who tried to do his best every day. He saw a man - arrogant, yes, but not cold - a man as warm as the sun, with a heart as golden and full as summertime. He wasn't a perfect hero, but neither was he corrupt and unworthy of _being_  a hero, as the Reverse had once believed. 

Eobard realized the truth - that by running back to the past, by killing Nora Allen and mentoring her son, he'd changed Barry. He hadn't just created the Flash. He had created another version of _Barry Allen_. He had created the hero he had always imagined him to be back when he was younger and more inclined to believe in heroes - or, in the very least, a version of this man that was far closer to that image he'd once held of the speedster.

This Flash _wasn't_ the Flash he'd vowed to be the reverse of.

His true enemy was gone.

_Forever._

_Erased._

_By my own two hands._

_All the suffering was worth it._

Euphoria flooded him. He wanted to throw his head back and laugh. "Barry," he said instead, "you don't have to apologize." He focused on the other speedster.

Barry's eyes widened with bewilderment. "What?"

Eobard's hand found his, taking hold of it. He chuckled a little. "I just came to the conclusion, that the other you, in the other timeline, the one who should have apologized... He's gone... All these years, I've been fighting the wrong person."

Barry's expression of disbelief only intensified.

"Don't you see? When I ran back in time to destroy you," Eobard said, gleeful, "I _succeeded_. I destroyed the you that I hated. I just...didn't see it until now," he reiterated.

"You..."

Eobard leaned forward, murmuring, "I'm done hurting people to get at you..." He dropped his voice further, to barely a coherent whisper. "I'm done hurting _you._..because I won our war..." He kissed Barry lightly. "I _won_ , and, I won't lie; it feels _so_ good to realize this."

"You...you're serious?" Barry finally managed, wide-eyed. "You're done fighting me?"

"Yes. You were right. There is something in me, after all, that isn't entirely a monster. However small." He placed his hands on either side of the Flash mask, losing himself to that gaze. "No more innocents will die for what happened in our original timeline. And...I will never try to kill you again."

The Flash searched his gaze. He saw skepticism there, but he didn't blame the other for not being completely trusting of this declaration. Sooner or later, though, he knew Barry would realize the truth.

It turned out sooner was to be the case. Barry grabbed his hands, his eyes filling with faith as he whispered, "I never imagined I would hear you say that, Eobard..."

Hope. Eobard felt it surge through the other. Felt it surge through himself.

He pressed their foreheads together, unable to look away from the dark eyes locked on him. Hunger grew in them. His heart rate increased to see it. "In truth...we're two sides of the same coin, you and I - we may be opposites, but we belong together."

"Kiss me,” Barry demanded. “For real, this time."

"Are you sure?" Eobard whispered against his soft lips, "that might be dangerous. If I did, I'm not sure I could stop."

"I won’t want you to. Not this time. Never again."

Barry closed his eyes. He tilted his head, pushing their mouths together. Electricity flared, pulsing through Eobard with each rapid beat of his heart. Heady and addicting emotions exploded through him when he reciprocated. For several seconds, nothing seemed to exist but them and that kiss, and he was hyper aware of little arcs of electricity passing between their lips with every shift. Their breathing picked up, warm air fanning across Eobard's face.

Barry pulled back, gasping, flushed, eyes hazy. Eobard had to stop himself from reaching for his lips again, because he felt certain he could kiss Barry Allen for hours on end. He hadn't lied; he wouldn't be able to stop. Barry grabbed his elbows. He stood and dragged his reverse with him. Eobard felt the hands pushing the Reverse Flash cowl off his face. Barry ripped his own back and leaned in, wrapping his arms around Eobard. There was such warmth.

"I feel it," Barry breathed, pressing into him in an almost desperate way. His grip tightened as he nuzzled into Eobard’s neck. The Reverse Flash felt his heart melt, knees weakening at the simple yet profound gesture of complete yearning and trust. "We are _meant_ to be together. Why did we let hatred control us for _so_ long?" The question sounded almost like a complaint.

"We made mistakes - both of us," Eobard replied, rubbing small, soothing circles between the other’s shoulder blades.

"Too many."

"Then again, even as enemies, we've always shared a connection with each other no one could understand but us."

The Flash shifted from his neck to his ear. "I _want_ you tonight, Eobard," he whispered there like it was a secret. "I want everything you are." Eobard could feel his soft hair against his cheek.

_Damn._

"Well, it's about damn time," Eobard said mildly. "I've only waited _three_ days."

The other sighed, pulling back to meet his gaze, but Eobard could see that his annoyance was faked from the way his eyes danced. "You're so going to kill the mood," he returned in soft tones.

"I wouldn't worry too much about that, Barry. I'm sure it won't be hard to bring it back." His hands on the man's back crept lower, cautious.

Barry's eyes darkened, and he shifted into the touch. "Eobard. I don't want to wait any longer...please,” he begged. "Take me, _please_. _Now_."

_Begged._

The Flash, begging _Eobard Thawne -_ the Reverse Flash - for _pleasure_.

_God._

This wasn't forced, and there was no alcohol in the man's system.

_This. This is how I want this._

_Victory._

He shoved Barry until his back hit the glass wall of the med bay, hands on either side of him. He pressed their lips together again, closing his eyes. He felt the entwining emotions connecting them, their molecules buzzing on the same frequency. His heart thudded like thunder. He wanted everything about Barry Allen. He didn't just want to have sex with him; he wanted mutual passion. He craved it. He craved their Speed Force. He wanted to drink in all of Barry’s and get drunk off of it. He craved every moment - short or long, negative or positive - they would ever share together. He craved the feel of their unique bond, the one that had tied them together across so many timelines and years.

Barry laughed on his mouth, interrupting that kiss. It was a beautiful and pure sound, full of happiness and exhilaration.

He slid his hands to Barry's waist. He twisted them both around. He pushed back, guiding the man to a cluttered table. Without looking to determine what was on it, he pushed his arm past Barry and slid off the paraphernalia with two quick sweeps of his hand.

Barry's eyes refocused at the sound of shattering glass, widening. "Unless I'm hearing things, I believe you just destroyed a compound I had aging for two _months._ "

"If you wanted it safe," Eobard growled from the depths of his lungs, never breaking eye-contact. "You shouldn't have left it there." He gripped the other to him with need.

"Unbelievable,” Barry murmured into his ear again, “you are so evil."

Eobard felt his self-control slipping away with each second. "I  _really_ hope that won't be the last time you say that tonight." He drew back and nearly tore Barry’s gloves when he removed them from his hands, tossing them away with no idea what direction they went.

"We _could_ have gone to the bedro-" Barry broke off with a gasp when Eobard slammed their bodies back together, hips grinding forward, hands feeling for the edges of the Flash suit.

"I thought you wanted this _now_. And frankly, I do, too. I won't waste even another _second_."

His response was a sensual moan that brushed his ears deliciously.

He breathed, "I want you to know, Barry, that no one else has ever made me feel like _this_." His fingers yanked at the material between them, pulling at the bright red. “Only _you,_ Flash. And that's why I want this, why I always go running back to you, because there's _no one else_ who _completes_ me."

Eobard ripped the Flash suit away, baring the other’s shoulders and torso. Barry groaned at his rough movements, but his hands were yanking at the Reverse Flash suit with equal zeal. Eobard forced himself to step back long enough to remove his gloves and boots, then dropped his own chestpiece. He hesitated for just a second, then reached forward. He felt the half-exposed body under hand, taut with muscles, skin as smooth and unmarred as he had known it'd be. The Speed Force surging through his veins also fizzed across bare flesh. He laughed this time, giddy, and he infected Barry with it, the other catching the same grin and chuckle.

There may have been no alcohol involved, but Eobard felt like he had a buzz, anyway.

He pressed his lips against those soft ones he knew so well, sliding his arms around the Flash, feeling bare, warm skin against bare, warm skin for the first time along with the tickle of mingling red and gold electricity. It turned his thoughts inside out. He deepened the kiss, feeling fiery excitement and passion bubbling up inside. After a moment, Barry pulled back to pant in air. Eobard could taste him on his lips, and it was delicious. He dipped his head abruptly and bit into the other's shoulder, listening to a hiss when he sucked at the skin. Barry twisted at the sensation. Fingers dug into the Reverse's back, and he pulled the Flash tighter to him.

"You want this, Barry?" He gasped against him, nipping more skin along his neck between his words.

"Yes," he moaned, leaning into him.

"How much?"

“So much.”

“Tell me.”

“I want this. I want _you..._ ”

“Say it again,” Eobard demanded. How did simple words give him so much pleasure? "Beg me, hero."

“Please. I want you, Eobard. God, I want you so badly!” He quivered with the force of his words. “I _want_ you, please!”

It stole his breath away.

Eobard could have stood there all day listening to this man’s desperate, husky voice saying how much he wanted him while he marked up his neck. But he needed more. He needed the other to actually be _his_. He needed satiation. His sanity spiraled away, all logic and coherence ruined. He felt the pain that crashed through the both of them as he slammed Barry - _his_ Barry - against the table, holding the other down by his wrists. The man gasped. He leaned over him, hips between his thighs. He ground forward against the other speedster without restraint, heart beating at what felt like thousands of miles per hour.

The Flash moaned, sending a million, tiny sparks through Eobard’s nerves. "You're mine," the Reverse Flash growled with lust, staring into the half-lidded, green eyes under him.

"Then have me," panted the other in desperation. Eobard could feel it in the way he squeezed with his legs. “I want you. I need you, Eobard. _Please_."

Eobard pressed their mouths together, savoring the intimacy that connected their lips and tongues. He felt every movement, the way skin rubbed on skin, tingling with energy, the way the flesh under his mouth swelled the more he bit, the way he tasted blood when he bit hard enough that the other gave a muffled cry into his lips. Barry's hands strained under his when his back arched.

It was almost too much.

Feeling intoxicated from their shared Speed Force and lust, he forced himself to pull away long enough to shove his and Barry's pants and underwear off.

In spite of his desire, he paused, admiring what he saw. The hair starting at Barry’s lower waist and curving down to his groin was paler, almost the color of Eobard’s own, and unexpectedly fine. He reached forward, feeling the incredible softness of it to confirm for himself. “Look at this,” he murmured in wonder, brought to reality for a few moments, “God, you’re wonderful, Barry. Every inch of you.”

“So did you just undress me to admire me all day?” Flash grumbled, but his face flushed even more so than it had already been.

“Grouse all you want, but you enjoy the attention,” Eobard murmured back. Then, it dawned on him that he'd forgotten something important. "I don’t have any lubrication," he said, now feeling a bit extra-flushed himself. “And, well, this is kind of an awkward moment for a pause, and I'm sure you wouldn't enjoy me proceeding without it.”

"Guess you'll have to."

Eobard bit his own lip with some frustration. "Barry..."

"I'm just kidding... I figured this was coming, so I brought some." Barry gestured to the item on the table beside them with a small smirk on his face.

"Good, good," Eobard responded with some relief, not sure how he hadn't seen it before now. He must’ve been so focused on Barry, he’d never noticed the other to bring any out during their unclothing. He was grateful the other had thought ahead for once. "You're going to pay for that little joke, by the way," he threatened mildly.

"I hope so."

He rubbed some across his fingers and shoved them forward.

Barry gasped, squeezing his eyes shut. “Damn it...”

Eobard forced himself to be patient, letting the other accommodate to him. “Is this alright?” He asked. He flexed his fingers.

“Yes,” groaned the other, breathing hard. “It’s...better than...alright.”

The Reverse moved his hand back and forth, adding more lube to ease his movements, enjoying the way Barry's entire body responded to each slide.

He kissed him again, letting Barry take full advantage of his pliable mouth while he worked his hand. A few, long moments later, he pulled out and broke the contact between their lips. He didn’t miss how dazed the other looked. He grabbed the bottle again. Superspeed served its purpose, and he coated himself thoroughly. He took his position and pushed slightly into the other, allowing him time to adjust, despite his own eagerness.

"I've never done it like this before..." Barry admitted with a rough chuckle. “I hope...you...know...what...you're doing..." He groaned and shuddered. His legs coiled around Eobard's waist.

The Reverse Flash pushed forward more, enjoying the whimper it worked from the other. "Of course..." he murmured. "...just... _relax._.." He pushed again, trying not to move too fast, the way he sorely wanted to.

"Oh...Eobard... _Fuck_..." The Flash shivered once more.

Eobard wondered if he had hurt this incredible man. He leaned down and kissed him, murmuring encouragement. "There...there..."

"Unbelievable, right?" Barry gasped against his face. "You're...unbelievable...in the best ways, Eobard...so please..."

"Barry...."

"You're....unbelievably...perfect..." The Flash groaned against him.

The words burned in his mind. To be called perfect, by the one man whom it mattered most to hear it from - it felt  _so_ good. Eobard's hand moved down, feeling the smooth, quivering body beneath him, tracing the fine hair, all the way to the erection there. He caressed it, listening to the other's sharp intake of air.

“So sensitive,” Eobard commented with amusement.

He was surprised when Barry seemed to become agitated. "Damn right... Don't...wait...any longer," he panted. He reached up, placing a hand on either side of his reverse’s face, staring right into his eyes. He pulled at Eobard with his legs, the action full of desperation. "I'm not a very patient man, Thawne... I can’t stand this slowness a second longer... Come on, Reverse, fuck me like you mean it! Isn’t that what you wanted?”

The pleas sent Eobard’s control careening away from him.

He thrusted hard, removing the remaining space between them. The Flash screamed his name at the pain, hands falling to claw into Eobard's shoulders, fingers rigid with bruising pressure.

The Reverse paused, though, watching the other's chest rise and fall rapidly, watched the flickers of electricity on his skin that was now shimmering with a faint layer of sweat. He could have went straight to the pounding, as Barry had demanded, but he couldn’t help himself. He wanted to savor this. He couldn’t help but stare down at this man he'd wanted for _so_ long. He recognized that he filled him - filled him as he had never truly believed he would, and yet had imagined it so _many_ times, that it felt surreal. He wondered, for a split second if this was a dream, but the simple fact that he hadn't woken was enough.

“What...?” Barry breathed, voice strained, sweat beads on his forehead. He shifted slightly, grunting. “What...are...you...waiting...for…?”

“I’m just enthralled by you,” Eobard murmured. “Anything you ask, it’s yours.” He pulled his thighs back, then pushed them forward, watching the way the other’s expression changed at the movement. “You know that, right? It’s been _so_ long since I’ve been this obsessed with you.”

“That’s...so...sweet, Thawne...but you...really...need...to...work on...tuning down that...creep factor of yours...” Barry ground out, trembling. Lightning danced across his skin, sending sensations of pleasure through Eobard. He realized he was shaking too, and at some point, they’d both gone into superspeed; the seconds on the nearby clock were frozen in time.

His composure started to slide from him again. He couldn’t hold onto it. He found himself moving faster, deeper, despite knowing it’d likely be more painful than pleasurable for the other. He rocked, each movement dragging a twist in expression, another noise, another groan.

Barry didn't complain in the slightest, though.

Eobard was learning that he liked it rough. With that thought, he put more speed to his thrusts, earning more exquisite noises for his effort.

There was heat, fire, electricity and pleasure between them. It entwined into a deep spark that wove into his soul, as surely as it did to the other. He didn't know how it could feel so perfect. He lost himself to each thrust, wishing, wanting, desiring in time with it. Barry crushed up into him in necessity, in want, in need, arms now locked like vises around his torso.

"Eobard..." Barry moaned against him. "Thawne..."

No. It was not simple desire. It was _mandatory_ that they were so deeply into each other.

He felt his satisfaction build, higher and higher. He couldn't imagine anything else in that moment but how he knew his voice would crack at the right moment.

With every last ounce of willpower he still had, he forced himself to halt.

Barry groaned, eyelids fluttering as he focused on the Reverse. “Oh god, don’t stop-”

“Do you trust me?” Eobard interrupted, tone serious. He slid out of the other at the question.

“Of course. Why are you-?”

Eobard reached his hand up, seizing his reverse's neck in a posturing way, squeezing lightly. Barry’s face filled with realization and he closed his eyes. With his other hand, the Reverse grasped the man’s erection, working it, but ensured he was well over the Flash. He wanted Barry to feel nothing but him as he reached the end goal. He plunged back into the other, causing a gasp and swallow that he felt under his hand.

_Fuck._ “That felt...so good,” he hissed for them both.

Barry panted and moaned, seeming unable to utter a single coherent word.

The Reverse Flash vibrated his entire body, encouraging Speed Force and electricity to flow off of him in waves. He watched the instant effect it had on the man below him. The Flash inhaled, chest expanding, entire body going rigid. His mouth opened and a hoarse cry spilled from his lungs. The voice reverberated in Eobard's ears, and he felt gratification and joy. He closed his eyes and basked in it, feeling pleasure down to his core. He enjoyed it far more than any scream of pain he had ever ripped from the other. 

He straightened himself and moved his hands to the tense thighs on his waist, gripping them. It was almost hard to breath, with how hard the other was locked onto him, but he couldn’t complain. It felt wonderful. He began thrusting his hips again.

Barry twisted under him, hair ruffled, body drenched in sweat, composure gone, and oh so beautiful as only the Flash could be in that moment. His hero, his idol - yet his once blind-admirer lost in hero-worship - the man who'd come to him when he was young, needing him, who had grown under him. And now - now he was this, a strong, capable hero, a man who the city looked up to as its guardian angel. Eobard knew he had created the perfection he'd wanted. It was because of him, that the Flash was adored and loved.

_His_ Barry. _His_ Flash.

He was proud beyond words.

_You are mine._

He was in awe. How could one man affect him so?

This man's entire existence could only be destiny - the same destiny that had determined they would meet, that they would be together. They were always fated to be Flash and Reverse Flash, to thrive because of each other, as opposites. And yet...

Every war ended, and this was how this one did, he knew.

He knew this was more than just sex.

_This is-_

His mind went blank. He climaxed, feeling the fire that burned through his veins. He lost all self-control and curled onto the other and repeated into his chest the one name that occupied his mind, over and over again.

_Barry, Barry, Barry..._

He couldn't think any other thought for what felt like several minutes.

The Flash gradually loosened his legs, lowering them from Eobard’s waist. The Reverse inhaled and pulled out of him. He found those lips again and kissed them gently. Barry kept his gaze. There was nothing but adoration and wonder in his eyes, a look that Eobard was becoming familiar with, and one that was growing on him.

He knew they'd both given up much for this one wonderful thing between them. As much as he wanted to ask for more, he wouldn't because he didn't dare go too fast this time - didn't dare to wear out his welcome.

The Flash closed his eyes and murmured something under his breath.

“What was that?” Eobard asked.

“When I’m safe, you’re free," he repeated. "When I’m calm, you’re wild. When I’m sane, you’re crazed. When I stay, you’ll go. When I’m lost, you’ll pull me through. When I’m stranded in the stars, you’ll soar above the Earth. We’re reversed...but you’ll always run after me - bring me back to you, Eobard. This is the end of the war.”

"Barry," Eobard murmured. “Did you reci-?”

Barry put a finger to his lips. “Shhhh… I know - I know it's actually really cheesy, I just...couldn’t help it.”

“Did you just come up with that? Or did you reh-?”

“I said be quiet…”

Eobard blinked, then smiled. “Never stop being you, Barr. Or should I say, Mr. Hopeless Romantic?” He pushed himself from the table, nearly stumbling. He realized he was rather sore, but it would go away soon thanks to his sped-up healing. Besides, he probably wasn't even close to as sore as the other man was.

"Um," Barry said, still laying there, but he’d drawn his legs up as though embarrassed all of a sudden. He shifted and Eobard saw his face flush once more. "I don't suppose you would bring me a towel, so I don't...you know...make a mess."

Eobard leaned forward for one more light kiss. "Of course. As I said - anything you ask is yours."

* * *

_"Lie down with me, won't you?"_ Barry had asked of him when they'd started for bed.

And so Eobard lay in the bed of the Flash for the first time, his arm around the man. He'd done the one thing he'd once claimed he would not...

Cuddling.

Because Barry had asked for it. He was really taking advantage of Eobard's sudden feelings of generosity.

Everything was reversed, now, indeed.

_You’ll never know what you do to me…_ _What you’ve done…_ _What you did... You've always been the one driving force in my life that really mattered, the only reason I ever became more than what I was._

He listened to Barry’s soft breathing, gazing at the indistinct outline of his shape in the darkness. There were hints of lingering Speed Force between them, even now, glitters of faint light here and there as if their combined intensity caused physical sparks. Eobard felt their connection more deeply and strongly than ever before. And he marveled at it. They were linked, through both touch and the mysterious energy every speedster had, through both timeline and history, through both emotion and logic… They fit together so well, the Flash and his Reverse, hero and antagonist, vigilante and criminal, paragon of light and personification of darkness - perverse dichotomy.

He was so content and relaxed for what felt like the first time in a long time.

_“I want you, Eobard…”_

Even now, he couldn’t get enough of this simple truth. The Flash wanted Eobard Thawne, who’d once been so lowly in comparison to the mighty hero of Central City. But for the first time, he felt one-hundred percent sure that the Flash had stopped looking down on him, had finally started seeing him as an equal...as more than an equal...

As one half of the whole they made up.

And the contentment in his heart said it was all he'd ever wanted from him.

He could almost forget flinty, cold eyes that had once locked onto him with nothing but annoyed scrutiny and a voice that'd often said, _“Fanboy”_ with such condescendence. His Barry wouldn’t ever be that man. This Barry had a heart of gold.

Eobard could feel each gentle inhalation, the other speedster's chest rising and falling under his arm. Completely exposed and vulnerable like this, he was beautiful. The Reverse Flash in him couldn’t help but notice how easy it could be to shift his hand down, vibrate it, to rip through the ribcage and heart there. Over a month ago, he would have given anything to have the Flash so powerless in his hands like this so he could end his life once and for all.

Now, he only wanted Barry curled in his arms so he could be close to him as he lived.

He knew he could lie awake all night just to watch Barry Allen breathe.

Eventually, though, his eyes closed of their own volition, and he fell into blissful darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Those endorphins are really taking over his brain... XD Poor, smitten Eo, so hopelessly lost in Barry...
> 
> ...
> 
> So, the deed is done... ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
> 
> ...
> 
> Ahem. Anyway, I wanted to say - I really don't know exactly where the boundary between explicit and mature sexual content is drawn. To me, this is a strong M, but not quite to explicit. If you guys think I need to bump up the rating, though, I will.
> 
> I admit, another reason this got put off a bit longer is because I was super nervous posting sexual content, so that made me a bit hesitant, but I got through it, so yay! :D And I'm actually quite pleased with the results...


	32. Visitors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, back to shorter chapters for now... *sighs in relief* And that means I can update more quickly. ;) (hopefully...)

Eobard blinked his eyes open when he felt Barry shifting in his grasp. The other man sat up, and the sheets fell from his torso. Morning sun drifted through the windows, shining on him, and Eobard could see the whole, bare plane of his back, the faint ripple down the middle where his spine was, distinctive shoulder blades, alabaster skin. His gaze drifted to the dark hair with its bronze sheen on his head, a complete, wonderful mess at this point. The contrast of the colors was dazzling. Allen's hands came up, rubbing his eyes, and Eobard watched the flex of his muscles with the movement. The man he admired stretched.

"You know," Eobard murmured to him, voice thick with lingering sleep. "I don't think I've slept so well in quite some time."

Barry pushed the sheets away without a word, baring his body completely.

The Reverse Flash smiled. "That's a wonderful image for my morning, Barry."

Slipping off the bed, Barry supersped his clothes on. He turned around.

"Aww, I was enjoying the view," Eobard complained. He blinked at Barry, surprised he hadn't recieved a single riposte in response to his comments. Or a single word, for that matter. "Barry? Everything alright?"

Barry seemed to pause. "It's done, isn't it? I mean, there's no going back, now. This is the path we chose, for better or worse."

Eobard leaned back into the bed further, head on the second pillow there. He couldn't remember the last time a bed had felt this comfortable. "You know...you don't have to sound like it's life or death."

"What? No, no, that's not what I meant." Barry crossed over to the bed, as though eager to reassure Eobard. He sat on the edge of the mattress, dropping a hand to the Reverse's leg covered by the sheet. "Though, considering who we both are, 'life and death' probably isn't too much of a stretch when describing us."

"Are you not satisfied, Barry, with the outcome?"

"Of course I am... I guess...I'm just still processing everything… What we shared last night...was..."

"Incredible.”

"Yes. Incredible...but something I wasn’t expecting. You, ending the war... I can hardly believe it."

Eobard reached for the hand on his thigh, shifting in the bed to lock their fingers together. "I wish that we didn't resist this for so long."

Barry cleared his throat, a nervous look flitting over his features.

_Uh-oh._

"I wanted to ask you..." The hand tightened on his.

_This doesn't sound good._

"Do you think-"

_Don't you dare-_

"-the other me, in the original timeline...? I mean, how similar was I to him, really? ...Did he...you know...?"

Eobard hadn't expected _that._ Though it was a relief when compared to what may have been uttered by the other speedster. He guessed the rest of Barry's difficult question, "did he feel the same way about me that you do? Did he feel our connection? Did he want _this_?” The other nodded without a word. The Reverse inhaled, exhaled, quiet for a few moments. Finally, he muttered, “I've already asked myself those same questions, Barry... My best answer is, no. I don’t believe he did… Either way, I'm done thinking about him. He doesn't exist now. I want to think about _you_."

Barry smiled, face flushing with pleasure.

Eobard chuckled.

The Flash's gaze flickered with golden electricity. “Your eyes are so blue,” he murmured tenderly

Eobard had to laugh at that, and a pleasant warmth flooded his heart.

“I just noticed,” Barry defended. “And this is probably the first time I’ve seen you with bedhead.”

Eobard raised his free hand and ran it over his scalp, unsurprised to find his fingers catching in haphazard tangles. “Considering last night’s activities...I’m certain it is even worse than it would have been, otherwise.”

“Yes, blame it on the sex.”

“I will.”

“It’s nice, you know.”

“Hm? The sex?”

“Well, yeah, but I meant the look,” Barry admitted. “You, blue-eyed with bedhead. It’s adorable.”

“Adorable?” Eobard raised an eyebrow. "That is not an adjective I would have ever expected to hear from you about _me_."

Without warning, Barry pitched forward and dropped his forehead onto Eobard’s chest. He snuggled against him without shame, still clutching his hand, his other arm wrapped around him. “Mm-hm. Endearing, Eo.” His voice was muffled.

Eobard was given the impression of a human teddy bear, what with all this saccharine cuddling and the soft hair against his skin. He almost opened his mouth to retort at it - and at the use of ‘Eo’, his ridiculous nickname - but nothing came out. He was lost in the way the Flash was curled onto him, so relaxed, so comfortable, so happy.

And he felt just as content with their closeness.

A worried thought crept into his mind. “Barry,” he said, “about our deal…”

Barry turned his head up to meet Eobard’s gaze. His expression tensed. “Give and take? Is that what last night was to you? Is that what _this_ is to you?”

“I...well, now that I think about it, most relationships _are_ give and take...but I don’t want this to be about our deal any more.” Eobard nodded to himself, decided. “I don’t want what’s between us to be marked and tallied to keep score. I don’t want this to be business… I want this to be unconditional and without restrictions. We both satisfied the deal, now let’s be done with it.”

“Are you sure that’s not just a bit too dangerous?”

“For me, it isn’t. For you…” He exhaled. “Well, only you can know for sure… I’ll leave it up to you.”

Barry faced away, breath warm on Eobard’s skin when he replied. “All I know, is that I want to be with you, and without it being, as you say, business. I want to be done with the deal, too.”

“Glad to hear it.”

A few moments went by. "You know," Barry said matter-of-factly, "I'm aware that we didn't discuss our roles before we had our fun...and we both know that I took you last time, so maybe next time..."

"Fine," Eobard said with a playful mock-sigh. "I suppose we should _share_ that role… If we must."

"Unbelievable."

"'Unbelievably perfect,’" he quoted back, "according to you, anyway... And, for your information, there are _other_ ways to find such gratification... But on a serious note, you _are_ going to need some instruction, Allen. You've never been with another man before like this, correct?”

“Yeah, but I’m sure you’ll be a great teacher, like you were before... Even if it's a _very_ different subject.”

Another chuckle escaped Eobard.

Barry leaned up, kissing him. "I’m going to go wash up.”

Eobard gripped his hand when he started to stand. "Barry."

"Yeah?"

"I just want you to know...in case it wasn't perfectly clear...that it was everything I wanted."

Barry grinned. "I know. And I feel the same."

"We _do_ have something in common, after all."

"That's usually what happens when you stop being someone's enemy." Barry raised an eyebrow, the smile softening. "You start realizing that they really aren't so bad as you thought…”

“So it seems.”

“Can we go out for dinner tonight? Since we've ended our deal? I mean, I don't think we've had an actual outing since we started this relationship. Well, except for the time I got drunk. Which I don't want to do. I mean, I want to have drinks with you again, but I don't want to get drunk - unless you do? I'm just talking about dinner, though, this time. We can have drinks another time and play darts if you really wa-"

"Barry," Eobard interrupted, "we can go out for dinner tonight."

"Great, great!" Barry responded. He squeezed the Reverse's hand, then released it and leapt from the bed, exiting the room with a spring in his stride.

Eobard felt surprised at how warmed he was by the other's happiness.

And they'd ended the deal. For good. He didn't know quite what this new dynamic between them meant yet, but he was sure he would find out.

* * *

_So this is what it means…_

Barry slammed Eobard against the wall. Lips against the Reverse Flash's neck, he murmured in a breathless voice, “teach me, Thawne. Teach me, like you did before. Teach me how to make you wild. Teach me how to fuck you. Inspire me. Embolden me. Believe in me.”

The Reverse Flash grunted in appreciation at that. “Of course.” He felt teeth on his skin now. He inhaled, heartrate increasing with each second. He gripped strong shoulders, tilting his head, pulling his opposite up for an intimate kiss. When he pulled back for air, he gasped, “I’ve always believed in you, Barry. I’ve always known that nothing is beyond you.”

Hands gripped his thighs.

Many positions they could try ran through his mind, but he decided maybe that'd be too much to start with. Once Barry became more familiar with this, he could then determine his kinks, use them to his advantage. "We’ll start simple,for now," he informed. Barry nodded, eyes hooded, but he seemed intent on Eobard's words. "We can move onto more complexity later... Take your-”

A noise sounded in the room, a buzzing, rippling noise that cut his statement off.

Barry jerked back. He spun around, and the air before them filled with a blue light. Eobard saw the portal forming, stabilizing. He stepped forward, quickly smoothing his clothing and hair. A man leapt through the breach, two people at his side.

"Cisco!" Barry said with surprise.

Eobard's eyes moved to the other two. Both of them were women, but he only recognized one of them.

"Barry!" She exclaimed, rushing to the Flash. She threw her arms around his shoulders. "I'm so sorry," she said, her voice breaking. She began to cry. "I'm...so...so...sorry for what I did..."

"It's okay, Caitlin," he murmured, embracing her back. "It's okay."

"It worked," Vibe said, pulling his dark, glowing goggles off. "We unspliced her DNA. Killer Frost is gone. Though you probably already figured that out... "

"Thank you," Caitlin whispered to Barry, clinging to him like a lifeline. " _Thank you_."

Eobard saw the second woman step closer to Vibe. By his side, she was shorter, with long, wavy hair that matched a dark leather outfit and tan skin. Her hand linked with his, and she murmured something in his ear that made him smile and look back at her with a playful expression on his face.

Eobard’s heart twinged. He knew he had worked to bring Caitlin back from her struggle with Killer Frost. He'd put in effort to try and regain a bit of Cisco's trust. But he couldn't stop himself from hating the fact that he would have to keep Barry at arm's length, now. He wasn't a fool. He understood the necessity. Despite the intelligence their guests possessed, they were morally-upright people - moreso than the Flash. None of them would understand the agreement he and Allen had come to. None of them would understand that they'd ended their war, that they'd both given up their hatred.

How could they? They hadn't experienced the connection he had - that he knew Barry had - as well as all the emotions and moments Eobard had lost himself in the Scarlet Speedster's eyes, his soft lips. No, to them, if they discovered the truth, it would seem like he was manipulating Barry, that he was taking advantage of his trusting, forgiving nature, that he was doing all of this to break him.

But that didn’t mean his mind wasn’t on Barry when he witnessed Cisco’s obvious closeness with this stranger.

Of course they showed up now, of all the times they could have.

_Just when I thought the universe was giving me a break…_ He wanted to sigh aloud in frustration.

“Gypsy,” Barry greeted when Caitlin relinquished her hold on him. He shook Gypsy’s hand.

“Hey, Barry,” she responded.

“It’s been awhile. How are you?”

Gypsy glanced at Cisco with a faint grin. “Actually, I’ve been quite a bit better here lately. And you?”

"Great!" Barry exclaimed, then hesitated at their confused expressions. "I mean," he continued with a half-hearted shrug, "as great as I can be, given the circumstances." He cleared his throat. "Would it be too dangerous to ask why you all are here? I mean, I'm _so_ happy to see you guys, of course, but I get the feeling this has more to do with than Caitlin."

"You're right," Cisco replied. "I'm tracking a criminal who fled here after we did some serious housecleaning back home. And, besides that, Caitlin wanted to see you, and Gypsy was bored...so, here we all are. Hard to believe that criminal, right? Why run to the city that is known so well for - the _Flash_?"

Barry grinned. "Well, we'll catch him. He won’t stand a chance against all of us, now."

"Caitlin," Eobard finally spoke up.

She didn't look at him as she spoke. "I don't want to talk."

"I know," Eobard said. "And I know I hurt you - perhaps worst of all...given that my accelerator forced you to be Killer Frost... But, would you believe me if I apologized?"

"I don't know," she replied, voice heavy, "you're really good at lying."

“Wait a second,” Gypsy interrupted. “Who is he?” She pointed at Eobard. "It sounds like you all have a bad history with him. Wait, is he-?"

“Eobard Thawne,” Cisco confirmed as if that explained everything. "Reverse Flash."

And it seemed to. Gypsy bit her bottom lip, eyes becoming guarded and wary. “Ah, I see. Cisco told me a lot about you."

“Did he now?”

"Yes, though I admit, I wasn't expecting you to be so... Well, I was expecting someone more unpleasant...and maybe intimidating in appearance."

"What Vibe told you are grossly-exaggerated tales.”

“Hardly,” Cisco returned. "First impressions aren't exactly much to go on, Gypsy dear. Give it time, and I'm sure he'll find some way to manipulate you into doing his dirty work, just so he can turn around and shove his fist through your sternum afterward as a sweet, parting gift."

The Reverse sighed dramatically. "I'd also appreciate it, Cisco, if you'd stop talking about me like I'm not even here."

"Thawne," Barry interjected. "Back off."

"Says you, Allen," Eobard bit back, stifling his own amusement. Despite having to keep Barry at a distance, he found he silently enjoyed their false bickering, a show for the others' benefit. He returned his gaze to the taller woman. “As I was saying before I was _rudely_ interrupted - I _am_ sorry, Caitlin."

She finally looked at him, as though with great effort, searching his gaze, eyes flicking away every now and then. "You mean that?" She asked, uncertain.

"Yeah," Eobard replied. "Just because I hate the Flash, doesn't mean I hated all of you. I cared about you and Cisco-" at the snort from Vibe, he inclined his head, "whether you believe it or not."

Barry rolled his eyes appropriately.

Cisco leaned over to Caitlin, whispering loudly, "don't listen to him. He's still a douchebag."

She smiled a little. "Even so, I suppose I can't blame you, Eobard."

"You can't?" Eobard replied in surprise.

"No," Caitlin said, "I know what it's like to hate. I know what it's like to not be able to let go of it. I can understand, why you're so angry all the time. All that fueling your power, making you want to do awful, terrible things to try and soothe it."

"You mean - you think...that you know what _I'm_ thinking?" Eobard asked, feeling amazement flood him. He hadn't expected any empathy from their visitors, not even from Caitlin.

"Yes," she said, "I've had a _very_ long time to experience a criminal's state of mind - my own. I still remember everything. I...did so many horrible things... I...don't know how to move on. I can sympathize. It's not easy. I mean, I had to change my DNA to cure me. You, though...you don't have the option to just back out of your state of mind."

Eobard could do nothing but stare at her.

Cisco stared at her, too. "W-w-whoa, wait a sec. Did I just hear you say you sympathized with him?"

"Empathized, more accurately." She shrugged. "It can't be that much different from what I went through."

"See?" Eobard asked, "Cisco, according to dear Caitlin, I am a very sympathetic villain."

"Ugh, don't get me started, and...um," he said, still looking at Caitlin. "I'm sorry, but this guy-" He pointed at the Reverse Flash. "-unrepentantly murders people because he can't stand the fact that Barry exists."

Caitlin's voice was cool when she responded. "I did the same."

"That was out of your control."

"It's probably out of his, too. Obviously, his actions are a form of psychosis-"

"Excuse me," Eobard said, eyes narrowing. "Did you call me psychotic?"

"Yes, considering the fact that you murdered Barry's mother, because you hated him, that really does point to a form of mental and emotional instability, a fixation on-"

Eobard's raised hand stopped her. "I'll have you know, Ms. Snow, that while I am a genius, I am mentally _sound_."

Barry snorted. "Yeah. Sure. A _sound_ genius."

"I built the particle accelerator from _scratch_ ," Eobard insisted. "Have you ever heard of a deranged individual doing that?"

Caitlin pointed out, "most patients who suffer from a mental health condition almost always say they aren't. It's why so many refuse to be submitted to mental rehabilitation."

Eobard looked amongst them then stepped back, dropping into his usual chair. "And here I was thinking I was making headway, too. I give up."

"Not likely," Cisco muttered, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"Okay, just so we're clear," Eobard said, gesturing at Barry, looking him dead in the eye, "as soon as Time Demon's dead, so are you." He looked at Cisco and Caitlin. "And I'm really hoping that you two don't interfere, because I like you both, and I'd hate to have to kill you."

"I doubt it," Cisco said, tilting his head. "You probably fantasize about all the ways you can shove a vibrating hand into my heart."

"Will you ever get over that?"

"Probably not."

“You should. It's not healthy to hold a grudge.”

"Why do you insist on being here?" Cisco groaned. "This would be _so_ much better if you just ran along for awhile."

"Can't get rid of me that easily," Eobard grinned. "Even you should know that by now."

Barry snorted. The expression on his face was absolutely perfect.

Eobard found the urge to speed over to Barry and throw his arms around the other man growing. He had to put a stop to that. "Look at that," he said wryly, "Mr. Allen is choking to death on his own idiocy." It had the opposite effect of what he'd intended.

Barry's façade broke into a grin coupled with a short laugh, much to their visitors’ bewilderment. He looked at Eobard, "yeah...we'll see who is idiotic in the end."

"Yes, we will," Eobard said, a sparking challenge flowing through him. "We both know who's going to kick the bucket first."

"Uh-huh."

Eobard could see merriment twinkling in the man's eyes.

"Okay," Gypsy said, "I'm just going to say it - what the hell is going on here?"

Eobard felt worried that he'd been too careless, that he'd revealed his and Barry's secret. He swallowed, and risked meeting her expression, hoping his was as neutral as he was trying to make it.

To his own amusement, Cisco saved him, "he's just an ass like that," he said. "You'll get used to it. Though it looks like the banter has evolved a bit in my absence."

"Mmhm," she responded, but there was suspicion in her gaze. However, she didn't press the matter.

Barry asked, "so, which criminal fled here?"

"Oh, you know. One of those metahumans who think they're a badass. In fact, I believe you know him. He calls himself the Darkstar Assassin... I have to wonder, though - what is it with these weird ass names? I could do so much better."

"It's not too bad," Gypsy said.

Cisco looked at her. "For real?"

"I mean - dark and star's kind of catchy together. And assassin is deadly."

"We're going to have a more in-depth discussion on this later," Cisco told her before looking back at Barry.

"I had a run in with him, actually," the speedster informed him. “He tried to kill me and Eo-Thawne.”

"I know," Cisco said with a nod. "I saw that on the news. And I want to track him down soon, before he kills again."

"Well, together, he should be even easier to bring down."

"That's the hope. This time, though, I think we should take the assassin back to Wustread when we do. The vigilantes have made a special cell, just for him, because-” here, he bent his index and middle fingers on each hand in a quotation sign, “- ‘he keeps escaping police custody'.”

"Looks like we've got work to do, then. But first, who's up for dinner?"


	33. Better Late than Never

They had their meal at a local diner.

Much to Cisco's displeasure, Eobard had insisted on accompanying them, refusing to "go somewhere else for awhile". Barry had to admit it; Cisco's irritation coupled with Eobard's calm stubbornness would have been a bit amusing if it wasn't also a depressing reminder of how much the dimensional metahuman would loathe the truth of his and Reverse Flash's current relationship. He sighed inwardly at the thought.

“It’s nice,” Caitlin said from her end of the table, breaking into his thoughts, “to just be here with everyone again. I almost feel normal.”

“You are normal,” Barry insisted.

“Most people weren’t what I was, Barry.”

“Well, you know what I meant. And you’re you now, the way I’ve always known you. Kind-hearted. Warm. A great friend.”

She smiled. “Thank you, Barry. And thanks for suggesting dinner. It’s been…too long since we’ve all sat down together and did something like this.”

“If only Thawne wasn’t here, right?” Cisco asked loudly, jabbing his fork into his dinner and stuffing a bite into his mouth. 

Caitlin had to chuckle, like she wasn't bothered in the slightest with her prickly friend. “Well, Cisco, it’s almost just like our first year with Barry, right? Before everything went to hell.”

“Definitely - but with the addition of my beautiful lady,” Cisco said proudly, pecking Gypsy on the cheek.

The woman blushed slightly, and she gave a smile. “Cisco, you’re a real charmer, you know that?”

“Oh, I know.”

“Do you recall the first time we met?” Eobard directed at Caitlin and Cisco. “It was over a century ago… I chose you both for your incredible talents. I needed the particle accelerator operational as soon as possible…”

“Do I care?” Cisco asked. His face grew mockingly thoughtful. “Ope, wait a second...maybe...ah nope, doesn’t look like I do.” He shoveled more food down.

Eobard continued without acknowledging the jibe, obviously taking advantage of Cisco's lack of speech for a minute, “I remember, the interviews for you both, for the position at STAR Labs. Though an interview is a loose term for it. I already knew who I was and was not going to hire. I remember thinking...what incredible individuals there were in the twenty-first century ooze. You were so warm, so humorous. Caitlin, you were just as warm, and you brought endless patience and kindness to STAR Labs, to its atmosphere.”

“Okay, first off,” Cisco said after swallowing, his face twisting, “if you’re trying to get on my good side, don’t say ‘ooze’ out to dinner. And secondly, you already blew your chances, dude. You did a lot of terrible things, so don’t get nostalgic. Trying to appeal to what was won’t change anything. Barry’s always going to be my friend. And because of that, not only am I obligated by principle to treat you as an enemy.. Well, it makes it very easy to do so...”

“Fine,” Eobard said. “For the record, I did apologize.”

Barry glanced at Cisco, feeling a pinprick of sadness. If he could only tell him the truth; Thawne wasn’t an enemy…but there was no way he’d understand.

"So," Barry said, "why haven't you two just vibed Darkstar's location?"

Gypsy replied, "we couldn't."

"What? Why not?"

"Well," Cisco answered, "we can't get ahold of any of his items for vibing. He doesn't leave a lot of stuff lying around. I'm fairly certain he knows what Gypsy and I are capable of - how our powers work."

"He's smart, unfortunately."

"That's why we're here."

Barry noticed the discreet glances that Eobard kept sending his way, and his own gaze was drawn right in when it happened. He couldn’t help it. He wanted to lose himself into the man’s eyes. It was sheer willpower that kept his focus on his food as often as it was.

He felt the touch on his knee - the light, warm pressure of an open hand.

_Really?_

Barry glanced up from his plate again, but Eobard was bantering with Cisco as usual. The Flash realized he couldn’t hear a word of it. That touch filled his mind, distracted his thoughts, seeming to consume his entire consciousness. He felt Speed Force flooding his veins, and his heart hammered in his chest. _Don’t start blushing like an idiot teenager. I'm over a_ hundred, _for pity's sake. Don’t. Don’t._ Desperate to prevent a reaction from himself that the others would notice, he grabbed the hand on him instead, holding it steady. Eobard finally risked a glance his way, and he felt warmed.

Before he knew what was happening, the world froze around them, the three non-speedsters trapped in their poses - Cisco with his hands up, Caitlin digging into her food, Gypsy reaching for her glass of water.

"I wish we could end this charade right now," Eobard said in the slowed-down time.

"Yeah," Barry agreed with a sigh. "It sucks."

"At least we can cheat a little, thanks to the Speed Force," the other responded. He leaned forward, and so did Barry.

Their lips connected, and if possible, time seemed to freeze completely.

Then things returned to how they were, as if the kiss had never happened. Thawne was back in his conversation, and Barry was left with the lingering taste of that kiss, which was salty and tangy from dinner. Barry licked the flavor off his lips, savoring it. He thought he saw Gypsy look at him from the corner of his eye, but when he turned to her, she was speaking with Caitlin about something. 

* * *

The group strode out of the diner, and Barry was pulled from his thoughts when Gypsy stepped up to him.

“Hey. Gotta sec to chat?” She asked, hands in the pockets of her black jacket.

“Sure?” He replied. Cisco stopped and shot her a questioning look, but she just mouthed, _later._ The rest of the group glanced at them with curiosity, but kept walking.

“What’s up? Barry asked the metahuman when they were out of earshot.

“I've noticed the way you and Eobard are with each other,” she said, looking at him knowingly. “And that's definitely not animosity.”

Barry sighed and rubbed his temples. Denying would be pointless. “Is it that obvious?”

“Only to me, I think. I've always been good at vibing feelings, though.”

“So… Cisco doesn't suspect anything?”

She shook her head. “I'm certain you would know if he did," she responded with a small smirk.

“Yeah." Barry let out a short, nervous laugh. ”I probably would."

“I'm not as close with you as Cisco is, and that's probably why. He's blinded by his grudge against Thawne, and his love for you. Even if he vibed the way you two feel, he wouldn't believe it. He wouldn't think there could be anything between you two. You know, he used to tell me stories, about the Flash and his grand, arch-nemesis, the Reverse Flash. Mortal enemies... He exaggerates, sometimes.”

Barry exhaled. "He wasn't exaggerating," he murmured. "It's complicated."

"I see..."

Now that the rest of them were out of sight, they trailed after.

“Are you going to tell him?” Gypsy asked.

“Maybe after Time Demon is dealt with.”

“It's not my secret to share, but you have to realize he's going to freak, right? Especially if he finds out first, before you voluntarily tell him.”

Barry ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah. I know. But it's just a week.”

“It's your decision. Anyway, I've only heard things from Cisco's rather angry-red-tinted point of view. What's yours? On Eobard, I mean.”

“Looking for the rose-tinted point of view now?”

She shrugged. “It's mostly curiosity."

"It doesn't bother you?"

"Should it? As far as I'm concerned, what happens in Central City, stays in Central City.”

“Eobard is…” Barry hesitated. “He has a lot of anger. And I hurt him, long ago - for him, anyway - and that's why he did what he did. I'm not saying it was right, any of it, but he finally accepted my apology. And I've forgiven him.”

“Strange to find harmony after so much destruction.”

“Every war ends, and nothing stays the same forever,” Barry murmured. “And I guess we never had the opportunity to work through our differences before this month. It makes me wonder what things would be like now, if we'd been forced to sit down and work through those problems long ago.”

“Sometimes... I think fate intervenes."

Barry nodded. "I agree."

They fell into silence, and eventually caught up to the others. To Barry's surprise, Eobard was nowhere in sight. "Where'd he go?" He asked.

Cisco shrugged. "Evilbard stopped a ways back and crossed the street. Something about the Central City's Historic Symphonic Orchestra?"

"I'd better go make sure he doesn't blow anything up," Barry said. He knew where that particular theater was, seeing as he ran past it as the Flash often. He had the entire city memorized by heart. He shared a wink with Gypsy behind the other two's back before leaving. Somehow, her knowing his secret and being accepting of it made him feel better on the whole.

He reached the building in a second. He could see people filing out into the cool night air, making for their vehicles or walking off into the night, and he spotted Eobard speaking with someone.

Strange. Eobard was antisocial, to put it mildly. For him to stop and talk to someone of his own volition... Well, it was almost unheard of.

Barry crossed the road after checking for vehicles, then strode down the sidewalk towards the two. He could now make out the details of the man Eobard spoke with. He had long, dark hair pulled back from his face, and his eyes were pale. His angular features were twisted into an almost irritated look. He waved his hands animatedly as they talked.

Flash finally drew close enough to hear what they were saying.

The stranger was speaking, “...so, is an apology the only reason we’re speaking now?”

“Yeah," Eobard muttered in reply so Barry almost didn't hear, "...it is...”

“Apology noted. I’d appreciate it if we didn’t speak again.”

“As you wish.”

Barry paused, and Eobard turned towards him. He noted the stranger walking away as the Reverse approached him.

"How much of that did you hear?" Eobard asked, urging Barry to follow him on down the sidewalk.

"I heard that he wasn't too happy with your apology? What was that about? Apology for what? Who was he?"

"He...was someone I once knew. I wronged him. I guess I decided I should apologize, and I think that's your fault... It's not that I feel guilty, exactly... No. I think it's because there's this part of me that thinks about you all the time... And now, well, you inspire me to try and be someone I used to be - someone who cared about doing the right thing, and... Better late than never, right?"

Barry smiled a little. "Right. Happy to hear it... But what did you do to him that made you want to apologize, now?"

"Nothing that matters at this point," Eobard said with a shrug, staring ahead, light reflecting in his eyes. "It was so long ago... I wasn't expecting forgiveness, or really wanting it. I just wanted him to hear it. Because of you. You would want me to apologize."

"Alright, don't tell me what happened."

"Barry, I've done so many hurtful things. Take your pick."

There was no noise other than the usual sounds of a city in the evening for several moments afterward.

Eobard broke the silence between them first, "so, what did Gypsy have to say? That I'm evil?"

"No," Barry replied. "She knew about us, though. She said she'd vibed it."

"Perceptive one," Eobard noted. "And Cisco?"

"Clueless. For now."

"Because he doesn't expect it."

"Yeah. Anyway, she took the news rather well."

"Did she?"

"Yeah. Maybe we _should_ tell Caitlin and Cisco." 

"I don't think that's a good idea."

Barry didn't push any further. He decided that the other speedster was probably right. At least, for now. They could tell them later. He leaned against Eobard's shoulder and linked a hand with his, feeling warmed on the chilly night by their closeness. "I enjoyed that kiss at dinner, by the way," he murmured.

His answer was a gratified chuckle.

* * *

"It's good to feel useful," Caitlin announced as she typed at the terminal. "Even if my help isn't entirely necessary, since you have an AI. And Cisco could do this faster than I could."

"You know Cisco wanted a break," Barry said, "and Gideon may be a super-advanced intelligence, but she's got limitations, too."

"Cisco just wanted to give me something to do," the woman replied in a tone that held both sadness and mild amusement. "Which I'm grateful for."

"It just occurred to me," Eobard spoke up, strolling over and placing his hands on the desk, "that you've started aging again, Caitlin, now that you are no longer a metahuman."

"A relief, in all honesty," she replied, glancing up at him before returning to her work. "It...feels wrong to me, living for so long."

Eobard saw Barry cast him a glance. He wondered if he or Cisco felt the same as her. He himself looked forward to a lengthy lifespan. He was eager to see the future and what it held for not just himself, but for the human race in general.

"Well," Barry said to the former doctor, "if it makes you feel better, you deserve to have a normal life after everything you've been through."

Caitlin typed some more and was silent for a few minutes. Her gaze pulled up to them again. "It may take awhile to come up with Darkstar's location. He is good at hiding. I think with Gideon's help, though, I can manage that much. You don't have to wait around in the meantime if you're bored, is what I'm trying to say. I need to focus, so I'm not good for conversation right now."

"Okay," Barry replied, "I'm going to go grab a snack while I wait, then."

“After that huge dinner we just had?”

“I'm a speedster, remember?” He chuckled and started for the door.

Eobard felt a stab of annoyance hit him. Barry, strolling out of the room like that, his back to him, as if he weren't even there. Of course, he knew why, but that didn't stop the illogical emotions it caused. He wanted to go after him, but he knew that to follow could be potentially dangerous. He may give them away.

After a few seconds, though, he decided he didn't care. "You know, I forgot something," he said to Caitlin and turned to leave the room. She gave a noise of acknowledgement, but seemed oblivious to the oddness of his retreat.

Barry was waiting at the elevator when he crossed down the hallway. The doors opened just as Eobard reached him.

"Thawne."

"Allen."

They stepped in. The doors slid shut.

Eobard grabbed the Flash by the shoulders, forcing their eyes to meet. "I hate this," he complained.

"That's not surprising."

"I just..." He searched the other's gaze. "I hate how often I have to remind myself to be a good boy when you’re within arm's reach... This may come as a shock, but I don't like _being_ good."

"It'll get easier..." 

Eobard narrowed his eyes. 

Barry sighed. "But I know what you mean... Either way, they'll be here probably no more than a day or two. Chill out."

"We could both die in less than a week. Remember that fun thing that's going to go down on the time nexus?" He closed his eyes. "Damn... I have wasted _years_..." He refocused on the other. "So you'll forgive me if I'm impatient. You'll forgive me if I don't want to hide this."

"What are you suggesting?" Barry asked. "We tell them?"

"No, no. No. They hate me enough as it is."

Barry quirked an eyebrow. "Then we show them that you've stopped being the murdering psychopath they remember you as. I'm sure they will come around to the fact that you aren't evil - then we can tell them about us, after they've forgiven you. It may take awhile, but we can do it."

"That's just it, Barry. We're nearly _out_ of time. There...is no real reason to try and get them to forgive me, is there? It's a waste of the little time we have left."

"You're certainly not being very positive, are you?"

“Positivity hasn't been one of my strong suits in quite a long time." The elevator halted, but the Reverse hit the button to keep the doors closed. "By the way, Allen, this is my _suggestion._ ”

"You're..." Barry trailed off, shaking his head.

Eobard felt his lips twitch into a shameless grin. "Go on, say it, Flash."

"I'm not giving you an elevator rush, you pervert."

Eobard raised an eyebrow. "Last night it was a _table._ Plus, we _were_ interrupted earlier when our guests arrived... And I never said it couldn't be quick...and mostly painless."

Barry contemplated, narrowing his eyes. He raised his hands up, grabbing the front of Eobard's jacket.

"Yeah," the Reverse Flash started, smug, "you can't resist me, c-"

He gasped as Barry shoved him back against the other side of the elevator. "If that's the case, Thawne," he said, pressing up to him. "I believe that I get to lead this time."

Eobard frowned a little. "Aren't you still learning how this works? We really don't have time to even go over the basics, especially if we're going to stand through this.”

"I’m a fast learner, you know...besides...if that's how it's going to be...then you don't get _any_ now."

Eobard realized he had a new annoyance to add to his long list of pet peeves. Now that he was this physically intimate with Barry, he realized he had let the Flash have an advantage over him. This man had something he wanted, and wouldn't hesitate to use it for what _he_ wanted. He should have known this would happen, anyway - he'd seen how ruthless his nemesis could be. He gritted his teeth, a retort forming on his lips, but as he stared into the amused green eyes in front of him, he saw his hero - the Flash he'd once wanted to devote his whole life to. His resistance melted in seconds, his irritation drained away, and his misgivings were replaced with a confidence and happiness with his decision to end the war, to be with Barry Allen.

"Fine," he murmured, cupping his chin almost reverently, "I suppose you can be the dominant one this time."

"Yeah," Barry breathed against his skin, smug. "I knew that resistance wouldn't last long." His hands found the edge of Eobard's pants.

"I hope you know how to wing this kind of thing.”

“I've got a good idea… I still remember last night, you know.”

Lips pressed against his, and fingers slid under his waistband and stroked him. He gave a muffled moan.

Abruptly, the PA system crackled on in the elevator, making them both jump. "Barry-" Caitlin's voice said over the speaker, causing him to yank away from Eobard like his life depended on it. "-Where are you? Good news, I just got a location sooner than expected, so get up to the cortex. You too, Cisco and Gypsy. You two better not be doing anything questionable." It clicked off.

Barry adjusted his clothes as he stepped back, sighing. He smoothed his a hand over his hair. "And there goes both the fun...and the snack."

Eobard tapped the button to lead back up, checking to make sure his pants were where they should be. "I guess we will have to wait, regardless."

The Flash leaned back against the wall. "I hope we live through the nexus."

"Think we would have a future?" Eobard questioned, staring at the elevator door.

"Yeah...for a while, anyway. Maybe a long while, maybe a little while, but it would be worth it."

Eobard saw the hope in the other's expression when he glanced back. "The other you - he wasn't that optimistic. I think, if he were in this situation, he'd say, 'all things end, and it'll be over before we can blink,' or some other nonsense like that."

"Then stop thinking of him." Barry stared into his eyes, unwavering. "Think of _me_."


	34. Deja Vu

"How'd you locate him?" Barry asked Caitlin when they were all back in the cortex together.

"I managed to find a company identification microchip in one of his weapons that Cisco snagged a while back," Caitlin explained. "The company was shut down for using illegal tech, and most of the weapons were confiscated by the government, but some were smuggled out. Right now, one of those illegal weapons is showing up in Central City. What are the odds that it's not Darkstar?"

"Cisco, I thought you said you couldn't get anything of his? Can't you just vibe his location from the gun?"

Cisco replied, "to correct you - I said we couldn't get anything of his _to vibe_. Gypsy and I...we couldn't vibe anything relating to him from the gun. And before you ask, I don't know why. Maybe he just didn't use this one enough." He shrugged.

"Well, guess it's time to suit up." Barry tapped his ring and became the Flash in an instant. "See if we can catch Darkstar by surprise for once."

Eobard couldn't shake the feeling though, that he was missing something in what Cisco had said. He shrugged it away and likewise became Reverse Flash.

"You're still ‘ _helping'_?" Cisco questioned him.

"Yes," Eobard replied. "This will go faster with the two of us."

"Vibe," Barry said, "be ready on my signal. We'll take this guy down without too much trouble if all of us go up against him. Alright, Thawne, let's go if you're coming."

The two speedsters flew out the door.

* * *

Eobard folded his arms, staring at the ruined building before them. "This is very crude, Mr. Allen," he said. "You think you'll find anyone other than a bunch of squatters here?"

"It definitely doesn't seem like a place he'd lay low, does it?"

Their gazes met.

"It's a trap," Barry sighed.

"Most likely."

"Well, we know speeding in and trying to land a KO won't work...so I should go in first."

Eobard felt annoyance. "That's a bad idea. We know what happened the last time you went in first," he said, recalling the time Darkstar had poisoned the Scarlet Speedster after a kid had been taken hostage.  

"What are you talking about?" Cisco asked over the comms.

"Just this idiot's bravado," Eobard replied. 

"That time was different," the other speedster replied, voice filled with irritation. "And you know that."

"A trap is a trap, Allen."

"Yes, that's why I go in first, so you can get the drop on him if things go south."

"That's just it - it _will_ go south!"

"Besides," Barry said with a nod, "Cisco and Gypsy will be there, absolute worst case scenario."

Cisco's voice started, "I...yeah..."

Caitlin spoke over the comms this time, "be careful. I haven't met this guy, but I know you and Cisco have...and he sounds really smart, not to mention dangerous."

"I'll be fine... You have any better ideas, Thawne? Now would be the time for your perfectly flawless logic."

Eobard knew he was probably being a little unrealistic at this point. The Flash did this all the time. Still, they'd both gone up against Darkstar in person not but a couple weeks ago. They'd seen his strength, his cunning. Then, not long after, he'd nearly killed Barry. That alone made the Reverse's blood boil with fury. He hated the idea of letting Barry play the risk of running straight into one of the assassin's traps.

But as he stared into the defiant gaze, he knew arguing was pointless. They'd stand there all day if he did. "Fine," he said, knowing his voice was stony. "Go in first. If you die, I'm telling the Time Demon you committed suicide."

"Do that." Barry glowed with electricity and rushed into the building.

Eobard did a lap around the dilapidated building, using the suit’s scanners to check for any traps or weapons. He found none, which he found odd. "Is it clear?" He asked Barry when he heard no expected commotion over the communications system.

"Seems so," the Flash responded, and his unharmed voice reassured Eobard he was fine. "False trail. Darkstar's not here, but someone else is."

Eobard used the Speed Force and darted into the building. He saw Barry standing nearby, holding a man against the wall. The weapon that they had apparently been tracking lay on the ground.

Barry tapped his comms. "Darkstar's not here, Vibe."

"V-vibe?" The man asked. "From Wustread?" 

"Quiet," Eobard snapped at him.

"Of _course_ he's not there," came Cisco's reply. "Well, anyone got any bright ideas?"

Barry narrowed his eyes at the man they had captured. "I've got one."

"W-w-what does t-that m-mean?" Their captive gasped.

Barry leaned forward, face twisting. He looked animalistic.

Eobard felt a twinge of uncertainty. He hadn't seen a side like this to Barry since...

The Flash practically growled his next words, "It means that you'll tell me what I need to know, or I'm going to give you over to Vibe."

"Oh...oh no, not him!"

"You hear that, Vibe? This guy's afraid of you."

Eobard folded his arms, watching the pale-faced moron fall for the simple scare tactic.

"But let's be honest with ourselves," Flash said, voice quiet. "You and I both know that we don't need Vibe for this to go... _poorly_ for you."

Eobard shivered at the tone. It was cold, more like the other Flash... And yet, at the same time, it sent a thrill to his core. There was something in that voice - even if it was faked - that appealed to the darkness in himself. He gritted his teeth and paced across the room to glance out a window, trying to ignore the sense of dejà vu he felt. He turned back to the other two when Flash began speaking again.

"You see him over there," Barry asked, pointing. Eobard realized he was pointing at _him_. "He's the Reverse Flash. You know - killer, murderer, psychopath... Now, I'm not one for torture, but I th-"

"W-w-wait!" the poor fool wailed. "I don't know anything! I swear! I was given this weapon a week ago down by the port...in Keystone!"

In a burst of crimson Speed Force, Eobard rushed over until he was a few inches from the man, letting red lightning fill his gaze. _"Lie again, little bug, and you will be squashed."_ He raised a vibrating hand for emphasis.

"OKAY! OKAY!" He yelled, and Eobard backed off. "I-i-it was the Darkstar Assassin. He gave it to me yesterday, and he...told me to tell no one where I got it... Oh _god_ , I'm going to die..."

"You shouldn't have thrown in with the wrong crowd," Barry said. "Why'd he give the weapon to you?"

"He said...he was wanting to expand his operation... To get men for it."

"Where is he?"

"I...you have to believe me...he didn't tell me where he was going, but I can tell you where he _was_..."

"Then talk."

"The abandoned harbormaster's docks! At the waterfront!"

Barry flung him down. "Alright." He turned to Eobard. "Let's go there." He looked back down at the criminal. "But first, a detour to CCPD. I believe the sentence for owning illegal tech is...two to five years?"

The man was pale, trembling, seeming unable to say anything now.

Eobard grabbed Barry's shoulder, leading him a few steps away. He dropped his voice. "You think he's telling the truth?"

"Yeah," Flash replied, just as quiet. "I think so. He looked like he thought he was going to die..." His next words were directed through the communications. "Cisco, Gypsy, want to come? There might be something to vibe this time."

"I doubt it...but why not?"

Barry grabbed the criminal, speeding away. Eobard followed.

* * *

After leaving the man chained up in CCPD's interrogation room with the broken tech to explain it all, Barry and Eobard went to the docks on the waterfront. Cisco and Gypsy were already there.

"There's nothing," she informed them. "We're pretty sure Darkstar was here, though."

"If you can't vibe," Barry started, "then how can you be sure he was here?"

"Well, for one," Cisco said, pointing to the building, "it's creepy as hell. It's also almost completely empty, like usual. Even the hidden compartments under the main desk had been cleared out. I did find some used cartridges from those tech rifles Darkstar smuggled, though. And...wait for it...a half-burnt note with his codename on it, but no information that would be valuable."

Gypsy added, "and nothing to vibe."

"I think he wants us to follow this trail," Eobard said, thinking. "I mean, that moron he gave a powerful weapon to wasn't even competent enough to use it against us, and then the idiot spills his guts without much convincing... So why is our assassin friend leading us on a goose-chase when there hasn't even been a single attempt on our lives yet."

Cisco shrugged. "We won't know until we find him. There could be any number of reasons." 

Barry said, "I don't think we're going to get any further out here."

Gypsy spoke, "we should get back to STAR Labs, then."

* * *

"Well, that was a wonderful waste of time," Cisco muttered, taking off his eyewear and staring at it. He leaned against the doorway to the cortex. "I feel like we missed something." He twisted the object in his palms.

Barry toyed with a digital marker absently, his face scrunched in thought. Eobard had to admit to himself, he did look rather cute when he was thinking _that_ hard. _A rather nice contrast to earlier's false break from character._ He still couldn't quite get that image of Barry out of his head. _I guess he has picked up a few tricks over the past century and a half._

"I'm out of ideas," Caitlin said. "You can't vibe him...and that tag was our last best bet."

"Yeah," Cisco said, somber. "He's good, isn't he?" He narrowed his eyes. "Why are the bad guys always so good at this?" He looked at Eobard. "Why is that?"

Eobard shrugged. "Practice, maybe?"

"I've been at this longer than Darkstar _and_ you...technically."

"Maybe because crime is more challenging. A criminal has to be top of the game to last."

"Yeah. You know, I actually wasn't really wanting you to answer, Thawne."

"Then, why did you ask?"

"Because I could."

"Okay," Barry interjected. "This isn't helping."

Several moments went by.

"I say we get some sleep," Gypsy said at last. "Obviously, all of us are needing it. It's pretty late, now."

Vibe glanced at her. "That's not a bad idea. It's been a pretty busy day, and I usually wake up with a few new ideas in the morning... I'm going to the guest area. Caitlin?"

She yawned. "Now that you mention it, I am pretty tired." She stood and walked over to him and Gypsy. 

They left.

Neither speedster said anything. They found a companionable silence, which Eobard reflected was a strange feeling. Once upon a time, he would never have expected to have this level of comfort in the Flash's presence, content to just share the room with him - but here he was, doing just that. After some time, Barry sighed and strolled out of the room, stepping into the corridor. Eobard followed. There was nothing but the sound of their footsteps to fill the silence. They stopped before the elevator and Barry pressed the button. They waited for it to arrive.

Again.

The doors opened.

Eobard smirked. "I'm not the only one feeling the dejà vu, am I, Allen?"

They stepped in.

"No, Thawne," Barry said as the doors slid shut. He hit the lockdown button on the elevator. "You're not." There was a flare of Speed Force, and the Flash held his Reverse to the wall. "No more interruptions," he whispered.

"Agreed." He inhaled his scent. "You know, you did a pretty good sinister-hero impression out there today."

"You liked that, did you? Why am I not surprised?"

"At this point," Eobard said, tugging him closer, "nothing about me would probably surprise you anymore." He closed his eyes to the sensation of lips on his neck. "We really do work well together, you know," he murmured. "In every way."

"We do."

"It's almost..." His eyes fluttered open. "... _too_ good to be true."

"But it is true. _This_ is real."

"Flash and Reverse."

"Always. No matter what form it takes."

Barry captured his lips. Eobard felt warmth pooling in his stomach along with desire. He shuddered, feeling fingers entwine in his hair. The Flash deepened their kiss. The Reverse felt his heartrate increase. Barry's other hand was at his pants, yanking the clasp loose with quick motions. The Reverse Flash groaned when fingers brushed his skin.

Barry pulled back, staring into his eyes with a deadly intensity. "That's a good sound, Thawne," he breathed.

Before Eobard really knew what was happening, he was spun around and thrust against the wall. "Barry, I-"

"Be quiet, Reverse," Barry growled against his ear. Eobard could feel the man's warmth along his entire body. "I'm going to make you beg this time. And you're going to teach me how to fuck you senseless."

Eobard had to grin at that. He pressed his forehead against cool metal. "Whatever you say, Flash."

Barry didn't waste a second taking their intimacy as far as he could. He listened well, listened to everything Eobard told him, whether it was breathless instructions, desperate begging, or incoherent cries. The Reverse Flash learned how it felt to have this man inside of him, and it was rougher than he'd anticipated; he learned how the Flash was even more impatient than he'd originally thought. He learned how to react, though, how to give Barry what he wanted like this. He learned, and so did Barry.

They learned about each other, in more ways than one.

And oh, did it feel so good.

_Too good to be true,_ his mind whispered.

When they were winding down from their pleasure, he couldn't ignore the sudden sinking feeling in his gut.

Barry pressed into him, face against his neck. "You're perfect," he whispered.

"So are you."

How could _this_ last?

He knew the answer. It couldn't. Nothing this good would ever last for him. The last time he'd gotten this close to having what he wanted most, it'd been ripped away from him. He couldn't help feeling like it would happen all over again; fate would find a way to make him suffer. It always did.

He drew Barry into his embrace and held onto him.

Even if it didn't last, he wasn't going to let go of Barry any time soon.

He wouldn't.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry there's not much happening this chapter. Next chapter is much more interesting, I promise. ;)
> 
> Also, I have a new story up again. Another headcanon/backstory fic for this story. As you probably already know, you can find it on my profile if you're interested.


	35. An Unfriendly Reminder

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter was out pretty quickly. ;) I didn't work today, and so I decided to take advantage of that to get it finished. Especially since last chapter was shortish and didn't have much going on in it.
> 
> And I can't believe there's only ten chapters left to post! :O Will this be the first fanfiction WIP I complete? I sure hope so. (I will. It's why I wrote this all out before I started posting, because I knew if I didn't, I wouldn't finish it). 
> 
> And, not sure how it got so long, hehe. I was only expecting it to be about 75,000 words at most. But it looks like it's going to be over 100,000. I cannot write a short multi-chapter to save my life, it seems. X)

Eobard strode into the cortex, the steaming mug of coffee in his hand rich with aroma. He inhaled it appreciatively, listening to the footsteps of Barry following behind him. He was feeling rather well today, he had to admit. There was something to be gained from a good night's sleep curled up next to Barry Allen, something he would have once denied with adamancy. The negativity was at a bare minimum, and he felt almost cheerful.

He said over his shoulder. "I'm curious to see if Cisco has any new ideas on Darkstar."

"Yeah, h-"

Eobard felt wind flow over him, and a spike in the Speed Force flooded the room. He spun, hairs standing on end, a tingling at the base of his spine. His hands went numb. His mug hit the ground and shattered, spilling coffee everywhere. He felt his eyes widened.

The Time Demon, surrounded by a fog of blackness, stood before him, harsh, golden eyes glaring down into his. It held Barry by the neck at its side, as if the hero of Central City were a mere bag of trash, easily disposed of, an insubstantial threat. The speedster struggled against the grip, beating back with his fists, but the creature gave no reaction.

Eobard couldn't move.

_“Hello,"_ growled the beast, " _Flash and Reverse.”_

Flash gasped, "you said...we had until...the nexus."

_"T_ _his is simply a reminder that I am not gone and that your time's almost up.”_

"Holy mother of God-" Cisco’s voice reached them. Time Demon twisted around to look at him.

Vibe lifted his visor. His hands flew out before him, about to launch his attack.

Time Demon glowed with electricity and vanished in a burst of Speed Force. Cisco soared through the air. He crashed against the wall and lay on the ground, groaning, his visor on the ground nearby. The creature looked down at him. _“You are no match for me, Cisco Ramon.”_

Everything in the room bled in crimson hues as Speed Force flared around Eobard. He drew in a sharp breath and launched himself forward, fists raised. He roared, driving his attack towards the creature.

It glanced at him.

His strike went through empty air.

Eobard hadn't seen the thing move, hadn't seen where it'd gone, but he was after it all the same, following the faint hints of Speed Force it left in its trail. It had Barry, and he'd be damned if he let it escape, even though he had no plan whatsoever. Barry had been the one in charge of the Punch, Cisco’s weapon. Beyond that, they hadn't really discussed a way to resist that monster.

That wouldn’t stop him from doing everything in his power to end the beast. He wouldn't give up. He wouldn't let go of Barry - not this time.

His chest pounded with the speed of his racing heart. 

"STOP!" He roared after the being, even if he couldn’t see it, even if he had no idea where it was.

_"Make me."_  

He slid to a halt in surprise. The Time Demon _had_ stopped. It flung Barry away like a ragdoll. The Flash rolled over the turf, slamming against the wall. Eobard looked around, his heart nearly stopping. It was an old football stadium, worn down from a lack of upkeep and decades of foul weather and inconsistent elements. The place seemed incredibly large and lonely with a stinging, cold wind whipping through it.

"Well, you're one for irony," Eobard said. His skin thrummed with lightning, and he raced forward. Was it a coincidence?

The Time Demon spun to him in an split-instant, its clawed fist lashing out. Three more punches struck the Reverse Flash, and he flew back faster than he could run. His body collided with concrete, shattering it like glass. Eobard felt the impact straight down to his core and went numb. The air exploded from his lungs. He coughed, face-down in the turf, and tasted iron. His entire back was aflame, and it’d been a long time since he’d been in _this_ much pain. Gasping, eyes watering, he looked up at the creature towering over him.

_"How can you hope to defy me, Eobard Thawne?"_

"Maybe," Eobard hissed, "because I...don't want...to die..."

“ _And how many of your victims didn't want to? Won't want to?”_

"So...what, you want revenge?"

_"That is not why I'm doing this."_

The Reverse’s hands shifted under him. He started to push up, but a shock of agony ran through his body. He growled, drawing more of the Speed Force into his cells until he was vibrating with power. He dragged his knees under himself, grunting at the incredible effort that was moving. He imagined only his speed-regeneration was keeping him mobile at all.

He hissed and lunged up, but a clawed hand captured his wrist, stopping his progress. The other one drew back, and stabbed forward into his shoulder.

He cried out in pain, hot blood welling from the injury.

The Flash appeared behind the monster, speed punches lashing its back. The Time Demon stood there, taking it. Eobard felt the hold release him, and he slumped back to the ground. The beast pivoted to the other speedster. Barry dropped his arms in realization, gaping up at the being with disbelief.

_"You'll never hurt me, Bartholomew Allen."_ It kicked out.

The attack landed squarely in the other's chest.

Barry slammed to the ground, coughing.

In his hazed pain, Eobard saw a shimmering blue light appear in the field. The light opened into a portal, and Cisco leapt from the breach. He threw a hand up, tech gear glowing.

_"This is not your business, Vibe!"_ Roared the Time Demon, lunging at him.

Cisco never got a chance to react. He landed on the ground, out cold.

Time Demon paced around them, observing them all with glowing eyes, golden electricity flickering over its dark, distorted form.

Barry's hand turned into a fist on the ground. "If you're going to end it, then end it!" He yelled.

_"Unfortunately, it must wait until the time nexus."_

_A nexus causes the most devastation to the timeline,_ Eobard remembered then. Was that why this thing was waiting until then?

"Why are you doing this?" Barry asked. "Mine and Reverse Flash's war...it wasn't your fight... You're just a creature of the Speed Force."

_"A creature of the Speed Force? ._ _..Yes, I suppose that I am... You cannot understand...not yet._ _You will, though."_

"You're trying to change the timeline," Eobard said, finally mustering enough strength to reach a sitting position. His hand raised to his throbbing shoulder, and he gritted his teeth when he felt the wound. It wasn't very deep, but it still stung like a son of a bitch. "You want to rewrite history."

_"Yes."_

"Why?"

_"If I tell you, I could rewrite the timeline incorrectly."_ The creature looked between them. _“What must be erased though, is this pointless battle of yours.”_

Eobard wiped blood from his lips. "The battle _has_ ended." He staggered to his feet, his body protesting. He felt his strength slowly returning, though. "We are enemies no more. Leave us alone."

_"Do not lie, Thawne. I_ _f you had ended the war, I would know..."_

_What?_ Eobard felt bewildered. Then, he felt coldness rising inside of him, and that sensation was followed by heavy despair as his fears were confirmed. He slumped back against the broken wall by the force of the truth, his hope deflating. "You mean...it's not enough. Despite us...sharing what we do...we become...enemies again..." His throat felt dry then, unbearably so. He swallowed, tempted to flump back to the turf.

_"...so it seems..."_

He swore that the tone had almost became sympathetic. And that was the last thing he wanted from it. He gritted his teeth, unable to say anything.

_"I know that what I must do...is terrible, but trust me, if there was another path, then I would take it. I have searched for every solution already, even trying to lock you both away forever, which wasn't enough... This is the only way, now..."_  

A burst of soundwaves hit the beast. It staggered in surprise, claws flying to its head. It screamed in an unholy way. Then, in a flash of speed, the Punch was flying through the air. Barry stared at his empty hands.

Except Eobard had seen the creature move this time. The weapon had slowed it just enough.

Maybe it was possible to-

_"You cannot destroy me,"_ Time Demon snarled, stepping between Flash and the Punch. _"Not permanently. Even if you could kill me, I would be back. This much is inevitable, because this is the only path, the only way… Say your farewells, Flash and Reverse. Choose your place where we will last meet, on the nexus."_

The Speed Force crackled around the beast, and it disappeared.

Eobard, legs weak, pushed from the wall. He took a few, lurching steps forward, watching the Flash's gaze turn to him. He saw his own resignation reflected there.

"Eobard," Barry said.

He scowled. "We were complete idiots, you and I, to think we could win this... To think we could have what we wanted." He turned and began to run, the heavy pain building in his chest reminding him strongly of the days he'd sat beside his comatose sister, hoping she would awaken, or the one day he had stood between the graves of his parents, knowing he would never see them again...

Or when the Flash in the other timeline had abandoned him. 

Heartbreak.

Something precious and rare was about to die. _Again._

More _precious. This ache is devastating, and the wound hasn't even occurred yet. I don't know know how to handle the thought of losing…of losing you, Barry. Of losing what we have._

All he knew, was that he didn’t want to stop running. He didn’t want to face what came next.

* * *

Eobard eventually did stop running a while later. He found himself standing on a large rise overlooking a medical clinic on the edges of Central City. He turned to the sidewalk and paced down it. He sat on a bench near a lake that glistened in the sunlight. The area here was part of a small park, serene and peaceful. The trees were comprised of the different colors of fall, and they were beautiful this time of the year. The cool wind whispered softly, and he was alone in this calm place.

He closed his eyes, rubbing his temples. He didn’t want to think. He didn’t. Not now. For the time being, he wanted to pretend that nothing existed but this one, quiet moment in time.

"Found you."

Eobard wasn’t surprised in the slightest that Barry had come after him. He exhaled when the man took a seat next to him.

"How is Cisco?"

"He's fine. Just got bumped on the head by Time Demon. Nothing serious. Gypsy's with him now. Everything happened so fast...she and Caitlin didn't even know what went down until it was over."

"It's good that Cisco is unharmed." Eobard rubbed his face. "I wouldn't want him hurt over _our_ battle."

"Yeah. Me neither."

Dread. That was all the Reverse Flash felt, knowing what needed to be said between them. "I used to come here all the time," he told his opposite instead, putting off _those other_ words.

Barry looked around the serene park. "Not to sound like a jerk, but...this doesn't really seem like your kind of place."

Eobard snorted. "It was...that younger, sillier me. I told you before that you saved me in the original timeline. I was....injured, and you raced me here because of the clinic down the hill behind us. But you didn't take me there completely. No, you left me here, instead, gazing at this lake. After that, I loved coming here... But it's been awhile. This is the first time I've been back here since before I became Reverse Flash." He chortled. "Whenever the water turned red in the setting sun, it always reminded me of _the Flash_." He shook his head. "What an idiot I was..." He expected the other to smile and laugh with him.

But Barry just shook his head, face determined. "There's nothing wrong with believing in a hero, Eobard. A lot of people do."

"Isn't there? Look where we wound up because of that belief. About to die."

"But we both have lived lives that were far more interesting...and more full...than most, because we believed in a hero at some point. In some ways, that's enough for me. And when I think about all those I saved, all those who were inspired, given hope....it's enough... I think...I regret the fact that I won't see what could have been, especially between us...but like I told you before, I'm used to losing things in my life...It can't be that much harder to lose my actual _life_... I've already come close to that moment so many times, I lost count long ago."

"Well, _I'm_ not used to it," Eobard shot back, even knowing it probably sounded like an immature complaint. “I haven't even lived half as long as you have... That is why I became Reverse Flash. I couldn't stand loss. I couldn't stand...losing...you..." He trailed off, realizing what he'd said.

"What?" Barry asked and looked directly at him, eyes narrowing. "That's new..." He shifted, and Eobard looked everywhere but into that intense gaze in that moment. He found himself staring hard at the lake, as if it required his undivided attention in that moment. "There was more to that original timeline, wasn't there?" the Flash pressed.

Eobard's throat tightened without permission, and he felt tears in his eyes. He sensed the shock in the other, the shift in his frequency. The Reverse struggled to find his voice, to keep it uncaring. He muttered, "it's...it's not worth mentioning, really."

"I think it is," Barry breathed. Eobard could hear concern in his tone. " _Eobard_..." 

_Why? Why does this you have to have a heart?_

_Right. Because of what I did. I changed him._

Eobard snorted again, partially in disbelief, and partially at the irony of it all. He blinked, wiping his eye with a quick gesture. He looked into the gaze locked onto him. It was so familiar, so easy to lose himself in it. It was worried, looking to find his pain, looking to find and sooth it. His heart clenched, and he blinked hard.

"Barry,” he finally sighed, “something tells me you already know, or at the very least, you have a good guess." He found he couldn't even utter the truth. This wound had festered in his heart for so long, spilling over with hatred and darkness, and he didn't want to expose it. He didn't want Barry to know the whole of it, because if he did...he would realize how hopeless his Reverse really was - that he could never come back from the monster that he was now. And then he would no longer want Eobard, especially intimately. He would no longer trust him.

But it was too late. The truth was out.

"We were...” Barry hesitated, volume dropping, “...intimate, weren't we? Lovers-intimate, like now."

Lying would do no good at this point. "...Yes."

Barry exhaled. "I wondered about that. Because if that other me felt anything like me now-"

"He didn't," Eobard hissed, feeling anger at the very idea. "He was in it for the thrill...and nothing more. I loved him, though. I couldn't help it... I didn't even know his name, but I didn't have to. He was the Flash. My hero since I was so young. Then, my leader, my teacher... My _god_. Nothing else mattered but that we were together...not at first, anyway. Not until he threw me away as if, after all, I was disposable." Eobard clenched his fist, feeling his teeth grind. He took several deep breaths until his hands uncurled and his jaw relaxed. He continued, "I wasn’t exactly...in a place for that sort of drop, either… I already had a lot of anger in me, and I think sometimes you were the only thing that kept it remotely in check...but then I killed someone. And that was it. It was over. He said I couldn't be a hero after that... And I knew the battle against my darkness had been lost. So...I accepted who I was.”

Eobard felt fear as soon as the words left him, fear that Barry was about to stop trusting him after hearing them. But his eyes were full of understanding, contradictory to what the Reverse had expected. He waited to see if the other would speak. But he didn't.

He pushed on, “and I-" He swallowed. "-don’t think that Time Demon is wrong. I was...a fool to think I could have you for real, this time. We won't be able to stay allies, not forever. After everything… We are just too...volatile together...like a chemical compound about to blow... And when we do start fighting again, it'll be worse than ever, considering how much we've shared, how _much_ power we hold in our hands from the strength of those emotions."

"I don't believe that," Barry said insistently. "I would never throw you away, Eobard. What we have right now...it's one of the best things I've had in a _long_ time."

"How do you know you won't throw me away? What if I kill again? What if I snap?" Eobard asked, irritated the other didn't seem to understand. "And _I'm_ the villain here. What if I throw you away, for some reason I can't foresee? Maybe our ideals just collide and it blows everything we've built to hell. I mean, you were right. Nothing lasts. Not even this."

Barry replied, seeming to choose his words carefully when he did so, "I did say that...but I think that's a risk anyone takes when trusting someone else. It's a part of life… You can't just give up because of what might happen.” Eobard started to shake his head, but Barry plowed on, “fine, then. Let me tell you something that will actually make sense. Cisco has been my friend for the past _one hundred and sixty years_. Through that time, we've had our differences, but we _never_ stopped trusting each other. We never stopped caring for each other.... So I cannot believe that it is impossible for _us_ to find harmony."

“Cisco is a better person than I...and so are you… We both know that if we fight again, it’ll be because of something I do.”

Barry put a hand on his shoulder. “You may have done terrible things, but you aren’t bound to them. You always have the choice to be different. And I’ve seen the you who wants to be different. He’s fought so hard to come back. I won’t break your heart this time, and you won’t break mine. We’ve _both_ changed. Wounds can heal, even the one that other me inflicted on you.”

"Tell that to Time Demon," Eobard shot back.

The chilled breeze picked up, smelling like moisture, mud, and decayed leaves.

He felt a hand land on his. "We still have some time, Eobard," the hero said, voice soft. “The Punch seemed to hurt it. That means it’s _not_ invincible.”

"Ever the optimist... I like that about this you, even if I can't share that feeling this time. Remember what that thing said? Even if we did manage to destroy it, it'd just be back. You and I both know how fickle the Speed Force is."

"If _we_ can change, then so can our fate. I’ve seen it before… We have five days. That's more time than some get...."

Eobard turned to him. "As much as I hate the thought of losing...if we can't save ourselves... I still honestly think it'd be the best way _to_ die - together, fighting for each other, intimately allies, trusting one another. It's what I wanted for so long, when I was younger." He touched Barry's face. "It'd be better than dying as enemies locked forever in a nasty war."

"I agree," Barry said, "but we _won't_ die. I'm not going to let that happen. Not after all the hardships that we had to go through to get to this point."

"I may not be as optimistic as you, Barry...but I know that I won’t go down without a fight." Eobard leaned his forehead against the other's. _“Non Desistas. Non Exieris._ ”

“Latin," Barry noted. He smiled. "What does that particular phrase mean?”

“Never give up. Never surrender.”

"That's more like it." Barry closed his eyes. "You were right. We _are_  two sides of the same coin, Eobard; we belong together."

"Even in death."

The man's eyes opened, annoyance glittering there. "You're so ruining this moment for me."

"I exist to ruin your life, remember?"

"Unbelievable," Barry said, pulling back and rolling his eyes. "See? This is why the Time Demon thinks we can't get along."

"Is it right?"

Instead of answering, the other speedster simply scooted closer until their thighs were pressed together and he was leaning against him. Eobard felt an arm around his shoulders, lips against his ear. He loved the feeling of this wonderful man pressed against him as if he were the only thing in the world that mattered to him. He sighed, comforted. The Flash's other arm looped around Eobard's chest.

"There’s something important I should tell you,” he murmured.

Eobard replied, his voice a breath, "what's that?"

"I love you."

The world froze.

Literally. Eobard found himself experiencing everything in superspeed-time quite suddenly, and he knew Barry was right there with him. He felt his breathing stop, his heart stutter, the shock and utter surprise flooding him. "You..." He didn't dare look at Barry, but he could still feel the gaze burning into him from his peripheral vision. "You don't want to do this, Barry...not now."

"Why not now? If I die five days from now, this had to be said, before it was too late... Wasn't that all you wanted from that other me? Love? Trust? _I_ have it. I'll give it. I'm not scared, Eobard."

_I am,_ Eobard wanted to snap back. 

He was terrified. And it felt cold and thick like mud in his veins. He knew he wasn't brave enough go down that path, to say those three words. He knew that if he did, he'd never get them back. Like before. He knew that if he did, then he was making himself that much more vulnerable. There would be that much more he could lose. He would be reliving the original timeline, handing this man the perfect opportunity to shred him apart.

Again.

He finally turned his gaze, meeting Barry's. Their faces were close enough, he could easily kiss him, which was what he wanted to do. Instead, however, he murmured, "I’m not capable of loving you, Barry. I’m too fucked up... I’m a monster, remember? Just because I ended the war, doesn’t mean that I'm any better of a person. The part of me that loved you before...it was broken long ago, torn away, replaced by something too dark to ever escape from… How do you think I was able to remorsely murder hundreds, if not thousands?"

Barry sighed, laying his head against his reverse's shoulder. Eobard could feel his soft hair on his face. But he hadn’t missed the disappointment that'd flickered through the other's eyes as quickly as electricity. When the Flash spoke, his voice was tight and quiet. “You may think that part of yourself is gone, but it isn't. Only buried. It _is_ connected to who you are underneath of every bad decision you made. And I’ve seen it. I've seen that truth. I know you are capable of loving me... And I’ll wait until you realize it too… You don't have to say it, in the meantime. I don't have to hear it, to believe it. You don't have to believe it, either. I know what I see and feel. We're connected, remember? Like you once told me - the heart speaks louder."

"That's what I used to think of you," Eobard murmured. "That other you. I thought, in his own way, he loved and trusted me... He did not. You'd be amazed at what a person can deceive themselves into believing."

Barry whispered his retort, "and you'd be amazed at what truths there are hidden... Which ones never see the light of day because they were too afraid, or because there wasn't enough time."

"You know better than most that I don't have a heart.”

"A heartless man doesn't cry." Barry looked at him, sorrow in his eyes. "One day, you'll stop lying... When you realize I see through every. Single. One. Of. Them."

"Not all of them."

"One day, Eobard. One day, you will say you love me, too."


	36. Confrontations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this chapter got long, wow.... X) I hate editing long chapters...
> 
> Anyway. Somewhat important-ish:  
> Occasionally, I get inspired to do some fan art...  
> When you reach the end of the chapter, you will discover...an art piece I've worked on for the last couple of days in my digital art program. I didn't realize until now that I could post art with my story. This is so freaking cool! 8D Like wow, AO3 is so much cooler than ff(dot)net!!! Ahem, anyway, just a fair warning if you're reading this on mobile, the art may not show up as intended. I'm hoping it will, but we'll see.

The Flash and Reverse sat on the bench for awhile longer, locked together determinedly, saying little more than what they wanted to in that moment. Eobard shared a few kisses with him, too. He was relieved that Barry didn't say any more "I love you's", though he had the sinking suspicion he one day would. He didn't understand why the clichéd phrase was so important to Barry for their relationship. Well, he was a romantic sap, so that was probably why... But they were doing so _great_ together, already. They could go out to dinner and cuddle and have sex all they wanted without having to utter those three, damning words.

Barry finally said, "come on, we should get back to STAR Labs before the others start wondering why we aren't back yet."

"Agreed." Eobard reluctantly extricated himself from the other's warm embrace. The air felt ten times colder without it.

As they raced back to STAR Labs, Eobard found himself thinking of the Time Demon's ominous words. " _If you had ended your war, I would know it."_

He sighed to himself. If their relationship was meant to end, it wouldn't be all that surprising to him. Even if this time was different from the original timeline, maybe they were indeed fated to be enemies still, and _nothing_ in any universe could change that. It didn't exactly feel good to think about, but he knew he wasn't about to give up because of Time Demon. He pushed those thoughts away when they reached STAR Labs.

They skidded to a halt in the cortex. Eobard saw Cisco sitting in one of the chairs, toying with one of his gauntlets. Caitlin was nearer, gazing at a monitor. Gypsy stood by the empty display mannequin on the far wall.

Caitlin looked up, and Gypsy turned to them. "I shouldn't be surprised the Time Demon wouldn't leave well enough alone," she said. She exhaled. "I should have been there."

"It was gone too fast," Eobard said. "There's nothing you could've done. There was nothing any of us could've done..." He leaned against the wall and looked away, suddenly aware of his slip-up. He didn't miss the sympathetic look that flitted over her features though.

"Any luck locating Darkstar?" Barry asked, changing the subject.

"So," Cisco spoke out of nowhere as if he hadn't heard the question, halting any response Caitlin or Gypsy may have given. His eyes turned to Barry. "When were you planning to tell us? Were you even going to?"

"What?" Barry asked, brows furrowing. "What are you-?"

"I _know_ , and I really, really, _really_ wish I _didn’t_ ," Cisco groaned, "but I do, and...I can't just ignore it."

"Cisco," Caitlin murmured. "Isn't this kind of a bad time?"

"No," he told her. "I have a right to speak my mind now."

Eobard looked at Barry, understanding filling him. "He knows about _us._ Our..." he hesitated, not daring to look at the dimensional metahuman in that moment, "... _relationship_." He snorted. "Heh. Awkward."

Barry met Eobard's gaze for a few seconds, resignation in his eyes. He looked to Cisco with a cautious turn of his head.

"I'm _sorry_ for bothering you so much," Vibe derided, crossing his arms.

"How did you find out?" Barry asked.

"Funny story, actually. I couldn't help but wonder what the hell Thawne meant out there fighting the Time Demon, about ending your war, about sharing something... Yeah, I wasn't _completely_ unconscious... I was half out of it, but still awake...an unintentional eavesdrop... So...I...vibed you when I got back to STAR Labs, and I saw enough of that...conversation you had by the lake to realize what was going on... How _cute_..." His face was full of contradicting disgust. "I'm never getting that image out of my head even if I live another century and a half, and that's totally thanks to you."

Barry muttered, "I had hoped this conversation could wait."

"Wait until _when_ , exactly? Never? Yeah, I know the feeling... But I can't forget what I heard."

"I wanted to wait to tell you until we weren't fighting for our lives against a being ten times our strength! ...Look, man, I'm sorry I didn't tell you-"

"It's not even that, really. Okay, maybe a little... I mean, I understand why’d you want to hide something like this… The main thing that bothers me - is I just don't get how you could...claim to...well, _love_ somebody like him...maybe have some weird fetishy lust for...him...but...love?"

Barry blinked. "It's...not what I was expecting, either."

" _Barry_ ," Cisco said, standing. His voice raised as he jabbed a finger in Eobard's direction, "Unless you've forgotten - this man that you declared love for _murdered_ your mother, sent your father to _prison_ for _half his life_ . He murdered me in cold blood, in another timeline, despite claiming to care about me like a son. He is the reason hundreds - if not thousands - have _died_ , including Ronnie Raymond, your mother, your father... I mean, Caitlin, me, and Oliver Queen - remember him? - we were almost on that list of casualties... Sure, yeah, that was all a long time ago for _us_ , but to Thawne, that was what, a few years ago?" He raised his arms in emphasis. "And even after all of that, he got away from us. He went back to this time, got his speed back, lived happily ever after while we were left to pick up the pieces of his mistakes - to recover. Then, what did he do when all was said and done? Oh, that's right, he went right back to slaughtering innocent people the moment he could." He inhaled with a scowl.

Eobard listened to the silence that followed, and he felt strange. "Cisco, I know what I did is unforgivab-"

"I wasn't talking to _you_ , so shut up."

"Not this time," Eobard plowed on, undeterred. He took a single step from the wall, forcing the metahuman to meet his gaze. "If you're going to be angry at me over this, Cisco, then I'm going to say what I need to. I'm sorry, for all of that - for what I did to _all_ of you. And I don't know how many times I _have to say it_ before you will to believe me. I have tried, countless times to make you understand, but you don't. Barry and I - we  _did_ end the war between us. I'm done killing. I'm done hurting. I'm trying to be better."

Cisco looked from him to Barry, then back. "I don't want you to apologize, Thawne..." His jaw clenched. "I know you don't really mean it, even if you wanted to, which I know you don’t. Psychopaths like you, you can't even feel real emotion. You don't feel actual guilt, so you can't feel sorry."

"You won't even give me a chance."

"You've been our enemy for a _hundred and fifty years_! That doesn't just change after a few weeks! Trust me, I know! And if you had ended the war, then why is that _thing_ still after the both of you?!"

Eobard opened his mouth to retort, but nothing came out. He felt a sharp stab of pain in his chest again. Time Demon knew it. Cisco knew it. And if he were honest, he knew it on some level, too. They were destined to be enemies again. He closed his mouth, taking a deep breath.  _I will never give up, though. I won't. I will fight the whole world if I have to for Barry. My Barry._

Cisco suddenly looked a little more subdued by Thawne's reaction. He switched his attention to the other speedster in the room. "I just... I thought you were better than this, Barry. This man, Eobard Thawne, is a homicidal, greedy, heartless criminal. Your literal, moral opposite. Yeah, he claims to have ended the battle, but I've never met a better liar than him in my entire, long-ass life... At best, he's just hoping to save his own ass from the Time Demon. At worst, he is doing this deliberately to play on your emotions so he can destroy you." He flicked his gaze to Eobard again. "You'll see his true colors, Barry - _again_ , I might add - and I'm not talking about the yellow and black ones."

"Maybe we aren't so morally different," Barry replied quietly.

Cisco narrowed his eyes at him. "You know, Barry, you really take the whole 'seeing the best in people' thing to ridiculous heights." He stomped forward, making for the doorway.

"Cisco," Barry said.

"Don't worry," he called back. "I'm not going far. I'm just taking a breather before I decide to vibe _someone_ to a barren moon in the middle of space.” He disappeared into the hallway.

Gypsy started after him. “I'll talk to him.” She left the room with swift strides.

Barry sighed and sat in one of the chairs. He looked at Caitlin. "Are you mad, too?"

"No, of course not," she said. "I am surprised, though...and I don't pretend to understand it. But I trust you Barry. You saved me from the demon in me, so I will always stand by your side."

Eobard shrugged. "Well, I knew Cisco was going to take it poorly."

"He'll get over it," Caitlin said. She hesitated with a small frown. "Well, probably... Eventually."

"He will," Barry said. "He's been more angry at me than this before. It’s _my_ choice, after all. Not his." The determination in his voice warmed Eobard’s heart.

On the outside, though, the Reverse Flash shook his head. "The question is, will he get over it fast enough to help us take down Darkstar?" He paced. "You know, every time I've tried to reach out to him, to apologize, to make up for how I hurt him, he shoves it away, says I'm incapable of being sincere. He'll never believe it when I say I do not intend harm." He ducked his head, linked his hands, and ran them both over his scalp with some irritation.

Caitlin suggested, "maybe you should try talking to him again."

"You saw how well that went. I've run out of things to say that will make sense... Unless I figure out how to get him to listen to me, talking won't do any good. It'd probably just make things worse." He sighed. "It's...out of my control. I will very likely be dead in five days, anyway. It...it doesn't matter."

"In my experience, Eobard," she said, "if you're truly convinced it's that close to the end, you should try to mend things with him. Who knows, it may even help you find peace..."

"I don't need peace." He exhaled again. "But you could be right. Let's just focus on Darkstar first, then...I suppose I'll try one last time to get through to him."

"Okay. In the meantime," Caitlin said, standing. "I should run some tests on both of you, to make sure there's no lingering damage from Time Demon. Barry told me it had the ability to take away the Speed Force electricity in your system to stop regeneration? I should make sure it didn't do that to either of you this time. And besides that, we don't know the full extent of its abilities, so it's better to be safe than sorry."

"Good idea," Barry said. "I'll go first."

* * *

“Cisco!” Gypsy's voice called after him.

He paused in the hallway, turning to the woman. “What?” He asked.

She reached him, and placed her hands on her hips and tilted her head. Her brow furrowed.  _Uh-oh._ That wasn't a look he ever enjoyed being greeted with. “Don’t you think you're overreacting just a little?” She asked.

He took a deep breath, trying not to feel annoyed at the accusation. “Look. I know you weren't around when Thawne was, and you don't know what he put us through, but-”

“Yeah," she interrupted, "I wasn't around. I have a pretty good idea though. But you spent quite a bit of time telling me about it, remember?”

Cisco raised an eyebrow and folded his arms. “Then you’d know I’m _not_ overreacting.”

“Look,” she said, “You may hate Thawne, but isn't the real reason you're upset is because you’re afraid of Barry getting hurt from a dumb decision? You railed on him pretty hard for this. On both of them.”

He inhaled. “Yeah, I guess so.”

“And you really think Thawne’s lying?”

“I don’t _think_ it Gypsy. I _know_ it. He’s a ma-”

“You vibed them, though, didn’t you?”

He stared at her.

She raised an eyebrow. “Well, didn’t you?”

“Yeah. So?"

“Then you vibed how they _felt_ ,” she said, taking a step forward. “I know… I know you don’t want to believe it. But if you vibed the way Barry felt...and then vibed the way Eobard felt… You’d know that he is _not_ lying. Not right now, at least. He does feel a  _lot_ for Barry. As _much_ as Barry feels for him.”

Cisco shrugged. “I don't know _what_ I vibed... You know people feel different things differently. Maybe it was just lust and hate all tied together or something... What I do know, is that he can’t _care_ about anyone, Gypsy. Not in a positive way, at least.”

“But he does, okay? You should accept it. I don’t know how. I don’t know why. But he _does_. And I think Barry would appreciate it if you’d at least acknowledge that.” She took his hand. “He’s your friend. You’re brother. Take that into consideration.”

“I know, okay? I know,” he responded with a sigh. "I don't understand  _any_ of this."

She smiled at him. “People can change.”

Cisco winced and his vision swam. He blinked in surprise, and then he and Gypsy were somewhere else. The room was tall, sunlit, with the gentle sound of a fountain running. He turned his gaze and saw someone familiar standing not far away - a figure in dark armor with glowing blue threaded into it.

"Hello, Vibe, Gypsy," the man said. "Why don't you come get me? Or better yet, send the Scarlet Speedster after me, since we know neither of you will do any good. I'm at the Golden Heirloom Hotel and Spa."

Cisco was yanked back to STAR Labs. He blinked until his vision adjusted to the hallway they stood in.

“You saw that too, right?" Gypsy asked.

“Yeah, our evil assassin nemesis who can't be found has returned. Whoa. I didn't know he could force a vibe. His powers are crazy... Well, we need to tell Barry. Come on."

* * *

Cisco walked back into the cortex. "We found Darkstar."

"You did?" Barry asked from his seat at the desk. "How?"

"We finally vibed him," Gypsy said. "It's a trap."

"What does that mean?"

"Well," Cisco said, "as it turns out... we've been keeping a small secret of our own, thanks to Dr. Evil. We didn't feel comfortable disclosing it in his presence. But I suppose now, we have to."

"What is it?" Barry folded his arms.

"This guy has the ability to cancel out our interdimensional powers. He...almost killed me back in Wustread because of it. That's why he got away. That's why I came to you for help with him. The fact that I finally vibed him here and now, means he wanted me to."

"How does he do it?" Barry asked. "How is that possible?"

"I don't know, but I fully intend to find out when we have him in custody."

Eobard finally spoke up. "He is a meta with strange powers. Perhaps he has a way to disrupt your connection to the interdimensional energies through his mind."

"Yeah, maybe," Cisco replied. "Well, we won't know until he's in cuffs." He looked at Barry. "Since Gypsy and I are useless for this, you'll have to get him. Better make it quick before he decides that setting a trap for the fastest man alive is a bad idea after all."

"Alright," Barry replied. "Where is he?"

"He's at a hotel in one of the quieter parts of town. Maybe he owns it?" He shrugged. "I'd be careful, though, if I were you."

"Just give us the address." Barry glanced at Eobard. "Suit up."

* * *

As it turned out, the hotel seemed abandoned. There were a few traps outside, which Eobard noted was more of the assassin's style. Barry and he disarmed all of them, though, without too much trouble. Once inside, they were greeted with a sunlit room that had been decorated lavishly with gold trim and soft, dark fabrics. The floor was tiled and patterned a gentle peach color.

Eobard rushed to the empty visitors desk before superspeeding through the terminal. He paused. "Gideon, get me access to all of the files here."

"Yes, Professor. Information on Golden Heirloom Hotel and Spa accessed."

Eobard searched through the projected files quickly, frowning. "Odd."

"What?" Barry asked, hurrying over.

"This hotel," Eobard replied, "it says that it was owned by my father... Emberson Thawne," he read idly, feeling strange.

Barry's brows furrowed as he leaned in to look as well. "That is weird. And look at that, it says he's owned this since-"

"2145. That was before I was born. And...it also says...that he is still the current occupant. But he's...dead..."

They stared at each other, and his thoughts churned.

"Barry, do you think my father was working for Darkstar? And that's why it's still under his name? Is Darkstar using his name to keep this place off the records?"

The other man shook his head. "I don't know. That doesn't make much sense, though. Why would-?"

"Ah," Darkstar's voice called, interrupting him. They looked up to see the assassin traipsing languidly across the floor. "There you are." He paused several feet away and spread his arms in greeting. "Flash and Reverse Flash... I figured Vibe would send you." He lowered his hand and grabbed a small square of technology from his suit. It unfolded into a rifle that he leaned against his shoulder. “I also figured the traps wouldn’t slow either of you much,” he said. "You know, it's not nice to snoop through what's not yours." He gestured at the console with the floating projections.

"Like I care what you think." Flash held out a few components of a broken weapon and tossed it to the ground. “You’re a real pain in the ass, you know that?”

Darkstar snorted. “I do my best.”

_"How do you know Emberson Thawne?"_ Eobard asked, switching to his distorted tones. _"It says this hotel belonged to him."_

The assassin shrugged. "That name has it's uses now. All I had to do was hack and edit some files to make it look like he owned this place for nearly forty years."

_"You are a bastard."_

"I do what I must."

There was a brief pause.

"So," Barry said. "you can cancel out Vibe's and Gypsy's powers. That's unusual."

"Not really. We were all three of us affected similarly by dark matter," Darkstar replied with another shrug. "However, my effects are limited to myself. I use interdimensional energies to augment my physical abilities. How does that disrupt their powers, you wonder? Well, it's simple. The fact that I can manipulate the same energies, means I can access the negative energies of whatever they use. I just anticipate and accompany." He raised his free hand, fingers spreading in demonstration. "Their abilities get cancelled out... When they're directed at me, that is."

"Well," Flash said. "That's all well and good, but you're going to have to come with us now. It’d be nice if we didn’t have to force you."

"Such a generous offer, Flash, but I'm afraid I must decline," the assassin replied. He took a few steps forward. "I will accept a surrender from you, though. Afterward, I will decapitate you and display your head for the whole of Central City to see, and I will finally be able to accept contracts freely without any good Samaritans like you interfering."

Flash chuckled, shaking his head. "Can you believe this guy?"

Eobard replied, _"Sadly, I can."_

"Come on, dude," Barry said. "We kicked your ass last time. This doesn't have to be harder than necessary."

"As I remember it," Darkstar said. "I blew a bomb up without you noticing, causing you to rush frantically from the building to assist the Reverse Flash from a long and miserable fall." He continued in a thoughtful tone, "Hm, which reminds me, Reverse Flash, I wondered about you for quite some time after that night. I didn't know much on speedsters before I started taking contracts in Central City. But even I was aware of one simple truth - Reverse Flash is Flash's ultimate nemesis. Weird that you two have been showing up together lately, helping each other out, right? I thought you hated the Scarlet Speedster with enough passion to unleash your very wrath on the city he swore to protect... A lot of people have died, you know."

_"I had a change of heart,"_ Eobard said, pulling what he hoped was a devilish grin. _"I'm shallow like that."_

"Yeah, I bet." Darkstar responded, shifting. "If you'll allow me, I'd like to share a small story with the two of you before the inevitable confrontation occurs."

Barry shrugged. "Whatever makes you feel better about going to prison."

"Thank you," the assassin said. "See, when I was growing up - I promise, this will make sense in a minute - one of our neighbors had the biggest, ugliest dog on this planet. It was sweet, though. Unbelievably so. All the kids in the neighborhood loved it... Then, one of our other neighbors got a dog, also sweet, but when those two hounds met, they wanted to rip each other to shreds. No one knew why. They would bark, go crazy, attack the fences at the faintest sign or scent of each other....to where the families wouldn't put them outside at the same time...but the two mutts had a date with destiny, it seemed. One day, the new dog escaped.

"It dug its way into its rival's pen. The barking and yelping brought us all running to the scene. The biggest, bloodiest battle I'd ever seen up to that point in my life unfolded. The adults tried to break them up.... It took them _ten_ whole minutes before they succeeded. By then, it was too late. The new mutt had lost too much blood." Darkstar shifted. "So, what's my point? A few nights ago, I saw footage of Reverse Flash and Flash fighting - that enhanced, high-res, slowmo footage at the museum. And I saw those two mutts fighting again. So, to stop beating around the bush - I know a death battle when I see one, friend. I know what mortal enemies look like. You two hated each other to the point Reverse Flash wanted to kill...and maybe even you did, in a way, Flash...so I have to wonder, how has _that_ changed? How _could_ it."

_"That's not really important to you, is it?"_ Eobard asked, taking a step forward. He clenched his fists, a worry spreading through his gut that he couldn’t explain - almost like an instinct.

"Oh, I don't know, it might be," Darkstar replied in a smug tone. "See, I have a theory that you may be unwillingly helping each other. If that's the case, you aren't really invincible, are you?" He switched the rifle in his hands. "Reverse Flash, I think we have a common enemy in this room. Not the other way around."

Eobard folded his arms and chortled. _“Is_ that _what you think? You know, you're pretty moronic for being such a crafty guy.”_

"Is your revenge really burned out?" Darkstar asked. "I don't think so. See, I can be a new partner. I may not have superspeed, but I'm powerful all the same - a metahuman with superior abilities. Whatever reason you're working for _him_ , you can work with me, instead. We'd be unstoppable."

Eobard took a step forward, staring at this man. _"I think,_ friend _...that you..."_

Time Demon's words drifted to him once again, ringing like a curse in his head. " _If you had ended your war, I would know."_

He felt himself tense.

Barry's voice drifted to him, "What is it?"

Darkstar's voice became placating. "I know your name, Eobard Thawne... It’s a distinguished name...for such a powerful, distinguished man.... Come on, we _all_ know how much you truly hate the Flash... You wanted the pleasure of killing him yourself, right? That's what you said on the street that day."

"How do you know my name? Is this related to my father?"

The other said nothing.

Eobard's chest swirled with emotion, and he couldn't give the question too much thought because his mind was fully occupied by another idea. _I had no intentions of ever betraying the Flash. But...what if I leave now...and it changes our future, saves our lives? Saves his? Not that I would ever help Darkstar fight the Flash, but..._

_"I love you..."_ Barry had said. Eobard shook his head slightly. _Foolish man, throwing words like that around. Even if I knew one hundred percent sure that it would save our lives... Who am I kidding? I can't do it. I...can't stand the thought of hurting you…_

_No. That would just make everything worse. It would likely just make us start fighting again._

_Wouldn't it?_

"Eo..." Barry repeated so softly, Eobard almost didn't hear it.

He felt his heartbeat increase. He heard it in the other's voice, the faintest wisp of doubt. Flash _actually wondered_ if he was planning to betray him...and it hurt to hear his distrust, however small it was. He ground his teeth. He shook his head again, clenching his fists. _"Darkstar, you have - "_ He chuckled. _"-seriously misread me. I can't blame you for that, but..."_ He rushed forward, evading the rifle blast aimed his way. He saw the other move to deflect him, but he phased around it. He destroyed the weapon with a thrust of his vibrating hand. _"...I sure as hell want to kill you for it. Such a blatant and poor attempt at manipulation is insulting to me."_

Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw two auto-weapons come online from the visitor's desk and fire at the Flash, who blurred from the attack, racing around them.

Eobard was drawn back to his own fight. Darkstar twisted, lashing out with an energy sword that glowed an electric-teal color. “I spoke only a truth I observed, Eobard… I meant no insult...”

He heard a scream of pain behind him. He saw metal flying from the corner of his eyes. Barry must've disarmed the weapons and gotten hit in return.

_He'll be fine._

Darkstar dropped something, and dark fog rolled across the room in an instant, blocking Eobard's vision. He backed up, scowling.

Barry rotated his arms, dissipating the blackness with a burst of wind.

There was no assassin in sight. Eobard scowled and looked around. “You think he ran away again?”

“I don’t think so,” Barry replied. "It's too early in the fight for him to back out now."

“Gideon, can you detect Darkstar?”

“Sorry, Professor. His armor seems to block all readings from my scanners. I detect nothing in the room besides yourself and the Flash… Hold a moment. There appears to be an electric anomaly in the nearby building support that shouldn't be there.”

Eobard looked to the pillar and took a step toward it.

"Wait-" Barry started.

Eobard heard the sound of several clicks. He felt a faint tremor under his boots and glanced around. He saw movement in his peripheral vision, and his gaze snapped back to the support. He felt his eyes widen when it seemed to detach itself from the floor and ceiling, falling toward the two speedsters. They dodged it with ease, and it crashed to the ground, cracking the tile. Chunks of it fell apart there, raining on the floor around them.

"That was pathetic," Eobard said when the dust cleared.

There was a shifting in the rubble. A silvery block sat there, unfolding itself into a new shape. Long legs pushed underneath of it, and a metal android with angry red lights stood.

Eobard stared.

So did Barry. “That’s not even fair-”

The automaton unleashed a flurry of bullets and laser shots across the room.

The Flash slammed into his reverse, driving them both behind a piece of debris that'd been caused by the collapsing support. Eobard looked up and saw a laser shot melt through the chunk they crouched behind. It seared the Flash across the leg. He gasped and slumped back, blood seeping from the wound. Eobard also noted a few other tears in his suit, the lacerations underneath still leaking crimson. He felt his heart pounding in his chest and moved closer to Barry to check on him. He was waved back.

"I'm fine. I'm fine," the Flash said with a contradicting wince. "It'll heal in a minute, remember?"

The Reverse felt the ground shudder and heard the stomps of the machine lurching toward their position.

"I'll rush in and destroy it," Eobard said. "I may take a couple hits, but we need to halt it before we can focus on Darkstar." He started to stand.

“Wait.” Barry stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. “This is just a distraction. You go after that thing, and he’ll pick one of us off.”

“Yeah.” Eobard frowned and looked around, but still saw no sign of their target. “And he’s not going to strike until he knows he can land a hit.”

Barry hesitated as the machine drew closer. “ _I’ll_ draw him out _and_ get the machine. You’ll have to get the assassin.”

“But-”

“Come on, Eobard, work with me.”

“You’re injured.”

“Which is why I'm going to take out the automaton. You’ll need to take out Darkstar.” Barry pushed into a crouch. “Be ready.”

Eobard exhaled, and his heart seemed to pound even faster with an extra dose of adrenaline. He extended his arm and took Barry’s hand. “Please don’t die this time," he murmured, staring into his eyes.

“I won’t,” Barry replied with a small smile.

He vanished in a blur of speed.

Eobard closed his now-empty hand and prepared himself. He cast out once more for Darkstar, but saw nothing. What he did see, though, was the machine unleash another frenzied flurry of attacks now that the Flash was out of cover. Undeterred, Barry rushed straight through the automaton, phasing as he did so. When he came out of the other side, he collapsed to the ground.

So did the machine, its components falling apart.

Eobard was about to race to him, to see if-

“Professor,” Gideon said, “I have a visual on Darkstar.”

Reverse Flash saw the faintest movement then, above the Flash along a network of ceiling beams. “I know, Gideon.”

The world slowed when he saw the assassin drop, the energy sword flaring out before him. Eobard raced out of his cover, and threw himself at their foe. He saw the other twist toward him in an instant, and the blazing-hot sword pierced his side. He screamed in pain, but he thrust Darkstar away from Barry.

“Don’t,” Eobard snarled, slamming his fist against the mask. “Touch.” Another hit landed, and it felt _marvelous_. “Him!”

Darkstar staggered but caught his next blow. He retaliated, and Eobard barely dodged the arc of the blade.

He saw the man reach for another device on his armor, but he reacted, intercepting it. He smashed the tech in his hands with a snarl. Darkstar elbowed his back with both arms. Eobard's eyes watered and he doubled over.

"You should stop protecting your real enemy," the assassin growled.

Sudden pent-up fury exploded through Reverse Flash and he roared. Darkstar may have had instantaneous reflexes thanks to his dimensional energy enhancements, but he was only reacting without conscious thought, relying solely on trained memory of a fighting style. Eobard ducked a blow and lashed out. The assassin twisted, but he followed, glancing his knuckles harshly off of armor. He hissed in pain, and phased a hand, trying to wound. Darkstar smashed a fist into his ribs, but Eobard was seeing nothing but red, and he didn't even feel it. He howled and punched the metahuman in the chest multiple times in superspeed. The other yanked back and coughed. Eobard followed.

In an instant, Barry appeared at Eobard's side, phasing both hands into the armor. Darkstar yelled in pain. Reverse Flash kicked out, crashing his foot against their enemy's knee. There was a loud crack, and the assassin dropped to the ground with yet another cry of agony. Before the Reverse knew what he was doing, he had a dark cable in hand that he didn’t know how he’d gotten and had wrapped it around the meta’s neck. He dragged him across the floor like this, snarling.

“Reverse!” He heard Barry exclaim, felt a rush of wind, someone beside him, but he could only see his enemy in a scarlet haze.

He had the other suspended before him in a split second, both hands pulling on the cord to hold him almost completely off the ground, the other's toes scrabbling at the tiles. Darkstar struggled, choking, to no avail, hands grasping at the cable.

Reverse Flash promised, _“I’ll kill you, you slimy weasel... You. How dare you try to manipulate me! How dare you hurt my Flash! You'll pay for it! For everything you've done!”_

"Reverse," Barry said again. He threw the power-dampening cuffs onto Darkstar. "Let him go."

_"I don't think so,"_ Eobard said, longing to pull harder until the other suffocated. Still, he found himself hesitating for just a moment.

"Eobard, I know you're angry, but he...doesn't deserve to die." Barry grabbed his arm when he received no response. "Eobard. Killing is _never_ justified."

The Reverse Flash looked over at the Flash. He fixed on those reflective green eyes, shining back the light of the sun from the tall, fancy windows.

He realized he was still hesitating.

"He doesn't deserve death," the man repeated, tone soft.

"Yes, he does.” Eobard switched to his normal voice. He looked at the assassin and curled his lip in disgust. God, he wanted to kill him so badly. “...but not by my hand." He dropped the metahuman, who hit the ground, coughing hard.

With every ounce of willpower he had, the Reverse turned and walked away.

“Why did you stop him from killing me?" He heard Darkstar ask the Flash behind him. "In your position, I would have encouraged him."

"Yeah, that's why you're the villain and not the hero."

"Pff... Heroes and villains, Flash, are all subjective to those who win or lose, to those who need or don’t need them..." His voice became quiet. "And here I thought I'd seen it all.”

"Shut up. We've got some questions for you, then Vibe's locking you away - for good this time."

* * *

~~~~~~~~R~~~~~~~~

* * *

So, here is the promised image. :D (From my DeviantArt account.)

Behold, the Darkstar Assassin!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now I need to do some more art! Maybe Time Demon? Or just something Eobarry?  
> *screams at the possibilities*
> 
> By the way, if you're interested in more of my art(I don't have much Flash stuff though), my Deviantart account is called 115SecretsToUnveil.
> 
> Hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and I am super anxious to hear from you! :D


	37. Bloodline

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh, sorry if I was super-late getting around to replying to you last chapter (if you commented). And for my lateness in getting this chapter up... I really have no excuse except work and life... -_-'
> 
> Plus, this chapter was kind of difficult, in a way, even though I'm only editing at this point. Lots of characters in the same room. (I hate writing for so many at a time, to be honest. It can be a challenge not to get repetitive with them)
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't read many comics, and so I don't know squat about Gypsy's character from there (or even if she is from them). The only thing I know about her is what's been said/implied in the show. I'm aware that there's an actual name going around for her. I've seen it in other fics I've read. Cynthia Reynolds. This hasn't been confirmed in TV canon, though, as far as I'm aware, and so I will continue to just call her Gypsy. (Besides, Gypsy is a badass name, IMO). This is just to let any of you know who might be curious as to why I have just been calling her Gyspy.

The two speedsters returned to the cortex, hauling Darkstar with them. Eobard checked the power-dampeners once more, to ensure their prisoner hadn't somehow slipped them. They were still in place. Cisco, Gypsy, and Caitling observed in silence as Eobard shoved the assassin into one of the chairs without ceremony. Darkstar straightened himself, not a single word escaping him, shrugging his shoulders as if his arms were uncomfortable. He gave a long sigh. Barry sat an assortment of the hitman's weapons on one of the desks, scowling behind his suit's cowl.

Eobard backed away from their captive. He felt his face stuck in a glare at the criminal who'd tried to hurt Barry. He still would have enjoyed making the man pay for that, but, unfortunately, he had to be _good_. “Don’t take your eyes off this one," he said across the room to the others, letting his voice be scornful. "He’s a master escape artist, apparently.”

He saw their gazes fill with even more wariness before he turned back to Darkstar.

The assassin chuckled, a sound that was devoid of any mirth. "This wasn't how I was expecting today to go."

"Who are you?" Barry asked him. "What's your name?"

"I doubt you'd believe me if I told you," the other replied. Then, an ounce of daring entered his tone. "So why don't you just pull off the mask and find out, _Flash_."

"If that's what you want." Barry walked over, gripped the meta's mask, and yanked it off.

He froze.

So did Eobard.

The assassin stared back at them, a small smirk tugging at his lips.

Eobard took in the hair that was more blonde than gray, the small scar on his cheek, the dignified and authoritative look.

“What...the...hell?” he breathed.

Barry opened his mouth and uttered two words. “Emberson Thawne?”

Eobard found himself incapable of speaking. His breath vanished.  _My father's alive. He's a meta. He's a goddamned assassin for hire!_ And yet, every sentence he yelled in his head never quite made it to his lips; his turmoil remained within.

Darkstar's face twisted. “Hello, again, Mr. Allen. I cannot believe that I didn't realize who you were before now, the way Eobard reacted to my attempts to target you." He laughed. "But it's the only thing that makes sense... If I had known just who was behind the Scarlet Speedster's mask, I assure you that I would have played this entire game differently. But who could have thought Eobard's party date was the _Flash?"_

"Woah, woah." Cisco coughed a little and walked over, an odd look coming over his face. "I don't even _want_ to know what he's talking about, Barry, but can we please go back to the part where he's a relative of Evilbard? Why am I surprised?”

“I am his father,” Ember supplied without hesitation or shame.

“That actually makes a kind of sense," Cisco muttered. Gypsy appeared at his side and elbowed him lightly. They both exchanged a glance.

Eobard found his voice. He stepped forward and tore his mask off his face. "What you are, is a complete and utter moron, _Father_. _Why_ would you hide this, especially after you learned who _I_ was!? I could have killed you out there, and I would have! You should consider yourself lucky Barry was able to stop me at all, because if not, you'd be dead, not from a vehicular incident, but by my own, two hands! How could you put me in that position?!" His voice had raised until he was nearly shouting. He saw the man's gaze drop to the floor. "You...tried to..." he trailed off and started again, "how? How could you be...a killer, a murderer, like me? I...my whole life...you were just my father...a normal one...but now I know...you're a trained fighter, a metahuman who makes money from..." he faltered once more, a million thoughts entering his mind all at once. One stood out, though. "God. The family fortune...is it blood money from your _contracts_? You don't actually oversee business relations between companies here and in Wustread, do you? No, you don't. You kill people for a living."

"Now you know how I felt." His father met his gaze at last. "After I learned of you being Reverse Flash, hundreds of questions filling my head, all of them wondering, trying to connect the dots on something I'd missed... It appears that we were both far too excellent at hiding our...darker natures... I was as much in the dark about your truth as you were to mine. At least, for a time." He shook his head.

Cisco cut in with a loud, "evilness really _does_ run in the family.”

The assassin snorted, glancing at him briefly. “A bit more literally than you realize, Vibe..."

"What does that mean?" Eobard asked, frowning at his father.

"I believe there's a possibility that your murderous tendencies are more...explainable than you realize."

"Stop being cryptic."

"It's a long story..." He sounded reluctant, hesitating just a bit on his words, "...but let's just say...that....I have suspicions...that you have inherited the, well...Wynter-Purity Gene."

“Wynter-Purity Gene?” Caitlin spoke up, shifting in her seat. “You mean…your bloodline has had genetic modification?”

Gypsy raised an eyebrow. "Wynter, I thought that sounded familiar... Do you mean Dr. Arthur Wynter? The leading expert back in the late twenty-first century on genetic modifications for enhancing metahuman soldiers?"

Ember glanced among them, expression becoming guarded. He focused back on his son. “There is...a lot to explain, Eobard...to you...and to Eisla...but I don’t think your new friends are going to let me... I will say no more in front of them.”

“If that's the case,” Cisco said, "then you're right. I don't care about any of this. What I do care about, is that you're going away for a long while, pal." He started forward. "You can send holomessages or whatever if what you have to say is really that important."

“Wait,” Eobard said, intercepting him. “Can we talk? Please?”

The metahuman met his gaze, distrust burning in his eyes. “Is this a talk, or a murder fest?”

“It’s a talk," Eobard replied with exasperation.

He saw Cisco glance at Gypsy again, and she gave a slight nod. He sighed, and refocused on the Reverse Flash. "Fine. Barry, Gypsy, keep an eye on this...assassin...”

“Will do," Barry replied. 

Gypsy added, "he's not going anywhere."

The mentioned assassin was back to gazing at the floor, a brooding look on his face.

Cisco exhaled again. “Okay, Reverse. We’ll talk...about your homicidal dad. Ugh. I hate this...and it’s in _your_ family... You heard him. Your entire bloodline is fucked up with some kind of gene.”

Eobard walked out of the room, confident the metahuman would follow. “Alright, let's just get this out there,” he said when he was sure they were out of earshot of the room. “I know you hate me, that you cannot forgive me...but I'm asking, for the love of all that’s good in you, if you ever had even a sliver of caring for me... I'm asking you not to take away my sister’s father...”

“Going _that_ road, huh?” Cisco asked, folding his arms and tilting his head. Irritation filled his face. “That’s a dirty move, Thawne, though it doesn't exactly surprise me.”

“I cannot give Eisla back her mother...but I can give her back her father. And I can ensure he doesn’t kill again.”

“Oh really? And just how are you going to do that? You planning to put a leash on him?”

“Not only have I proven that I can physically overpower him, but after this defeat, it'll likely be difficult for him to return to being the Darkstar Assassin. I can even get him to tell you his sources. No more contracts will come in once he’s been so severely compromised."

Vibe hesitated, skeptical. "How do I know I can trust you?" He asked, and Eobard heard a note of bitterness in his voice.

"You don't," he responded, running a hand through his hair, "and there's nothing I can do to change that... But I'm asking that you take that leap of faith... I'm asking that you do it for an innocent young woman who thinks her parents are buried in the cemetery. You lost your family, but you can give Eisla back part of hers… She should hear the truth from our father..she should be given the chance to forgive him, if she can... Cisco, I have never asked anything from you since we’ve met again in this time...but I’m asking you now for this one mercy."

Cisco’s face twisted. “You know...this is making it that much harder to forgive you as you once again prove to not care even a little bit about justice.”

“You're right," Eobard said, "I don't care about justice. I'm a murderer... I'm a criminal and psychopath and sociopath and monster and whatever other labels you want to throw on me. I don't care to see my dad face justice... I don't care that he's an assassin who has killed hundreds of people... What I do care about, Cisco, are all the people in this facility right now. You. Barry. Caitlin. Even Gypsy has grown on me. And yes - my father, too, even after all he's done and tried to do... I’m even willing to risk the fact that you may never forgive me for what I've done, even though I had hoped you might."

The meta sighed, warring emotions in his eyes. “You’re such an asshole."

Eobard felt himself smile for just a split-second, then it was gone. "I think I know why you can't forgive me, Cisco."

"And why's that?"

"My apologies haven't been sincere."

He rolled his eyes. "Tell me something I don't know."

"It's because I've been forcing them, because of Barry. He would want me to apologize...but I can't do it sincerely, because I don't regret what I did - any of it. And when I say that - I mean I feel no remorse or guilt for my actions, even though I now recognize they were wrong... What I _do_ regret, is being this Flash's enemy for so long. For being your enemy, too. _That_  is what I regret..and _that_ is what I think I _can_ apologize for." He inhaled, and said, with all of his conviction. "So. Cisco...I am sorry that I was Barry's enemy. And yours. I freely admit to losing no sleep over it, but I want this hostility to change."

The other hesitated. "You shouldn't apologize, if you don't feel guilt."

"Then what _should_ I do?"

"If..." Cisco took a slow breath, seeming to measure his words before uttering them. "And I emphasize the 'if' - you really are sincere about not being our enemy...all you _can_ do is prove you aren't. And that takes time. A _lot_ of time."

Eobard nodded.

The metahuman closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "And I don't know...about this...whatever it is between you and Barry...but I do know that it's important to him. And for some reason, he's willing to risk his heart, and possibly his life, for it - for you... For some reason, he now trusts you. For some reason, nobody in a hundred years could so much as get him to go on a date, and now...he's _in love_ with the man that used to be his worst enemy. You've really impressed him, it seems."

"Cisco-"

"I guess what I'm trying to say is...maybe you aren't lying."

Eobard felt pure warmth flood him at those words. Shock, too, that not only had Cisco considered that he might not be lying, but that it made him feel great to hear those words.  _Maybe Time Demon_ is _wrong about Barry and I. If someone as doubtful of my intentions as Cisco could see that we aren't enemies... Maybe it could, too._

"Thank you, Cisco."

"Don't thank me. All I said was 'maybe'. I still don't trust you any further than I could throw you - without opening a breach, I mean."

It was progress, though. Eobard chortled. "I know."

"And...I can’t believe I’m saying this...but alright, I'll take a leap of faith, and if for nothing else, then I'll do it for Barry... So, Thawne, take your homicidal father home with you...and see that he doesn't return to being an assassin."

Eobard couldn't believe his ears. “I...Cisco... I really do appreciate this.”

Cisco said nothing, expression unreadable. He turned and marched away.

* * *

“You’re a bit sadistic,” Barry commented to the assassin, “knowing Eobard was out there...trying to goad him into killing me.”

“I honestly didn’t know it was you, Mr. Allen... I didn’t think my son would be dating the Flash, that’s for sure." He gave another short laugh. "Oh, but _now_ I see the incredible irony here.”

“It was still sadistic,” Caitlin pointed out, frowning.

“What do you expect? I’m a killer,” Emberson said with a shrug, “I was raised to be one. My earliest memories are of learning all the easiest ways to end a man’s life...where the arteries are closest to the surface of the skin, the exact amount of pressure required to snap a neck, the feel of hundreds of different weapons in the palms of my hands. Both hands. I'm ambidextrous. And there was also the barehanded training, martial arts - ancient fighting styles passed down from ancient cultures, countless in their variations... So much training for so long...  I’m great at what I do. No, that is an understatement. I am almost flawless... Of course I enjoy my work...”

Barry asked, "you mean you've been trained since you were a child?"

"From you tone, I take it I'm not the first person you've heard with this story."

"No. You're not. I'm older than I look. I've seen a lot."

He tilted his head with acknowledgement. "So am I."

"How old are you, then?"

"Eighty-six. Though, the records claim I'm fifty-nine. And you?"

"I...kind of lost count. Somewhere upward of a hundred and fifty."

The assassin had to chortle at that, and it reminded Barry of Eobard's laugh, in a way.

"I actually kind of understand," Gypsy admitted. "I was trained by an organization that hunted breachers - lawbreakers from my original home.... Maybe I wasn't trained since I was a child, but I know how...it can really change you as a human, when you're taught how to remorselessly kill over years at a time. When you're taught to glorify it - to be glorified for it."

Darkstar nodded. “Yes. But unlike you, I've never known a difference." He looked straight at Barry after that. "And if you want the entire truth... I felt nothing but animosity towards you, Mr. Allen... My actions were far more personal than they should have been for an assassin, and that's why I lost. I hated you... I believed you were the reason Eobard became a killer... I wanted revenge on you for changing him... And what better way to have my revenge than by having your demise be at his hands? I thought.”

“You...thought I was responsible for him becoming Reverse Flash?”

“Yes." There was no doubt in that simple answer.

Barry was abruptly chilled for reasons he couldn't explain. "Why?"

"Recently, I found out Eobard had become Reverse Flash _years_ ago - a homicidal speedster... I believed you were the reason for it because Eobard loved the Flash. And what could provoke him to become the enemy of his favorite hero, but that you had wronged him? He was the sweetest, dearest boy a father could hope for, and then...he wasn't. You were the answer to why he changed. You caused it, somehow, someway, you caused him to become what _I_ am... I thought I had protected my son from becoming this, because even though I enjoy what I do, I never wanted that life for him...and I blamed you for my failure to protect him....”

“Not that it was my intention, but you were right - I did cause him to become what he did,” Barry conceded with a frown, “...but guess what? He’s a grown man, Emberson. He’s capable of making his own decisions. He chose to use his powers to become a killer. And guess what else? He’s already decided not to be a murderer anymore... We worked out our differences... Maybe if you had just talked to him about all of this when you'd found out...”

"My wife was just murdered," Ember said, eyes narrowed. “I loved her... And not long before that, I had found out my son was a killer... And there I was, alone, cut off from my family, the body of the woman I loved in a grave beside my own empty one. I was left knowing that Eisla's life had just been turned inside-out...knowing there was no way to fix any of it... Judgement flies out the window when it comes to such situations."

"I suppose...that's true." 

"I don't blame you anymore, if that's what you're wondering. I can see that it wasn't you who deserved my anger, but myself. I should have told Eobard the truth long ago."

Caitlin asked, “why _did_ you go into hiding after your wife’s death?”

“I was afraid that it was one of my enemies who had found out my identity and was trying to kill me... But later, I found out it was actually one of Eobard's. By then, the thought of going back home was...difficult to imagine. I just thought of trying to explain this all to my children and...well, like I said - scrambled judgement.” He let out a puff of air. "Have any of you ever had children? Perhaps then you might know what I mean."

Gypsy shook her head.

Barry looked away, feeling like a burr had suddenly caught in his throat. He cleared it, but the feeling still remained. "I have... A long time ago...”

“That need to protect them...it never leaves you, does it?” Ember asked. “Even though, for you...it seems they’re gone...”

“No,” Barry agreed, “it doesn’t leave...” He found himself glancing at Caitlin to escape the assassin's scrutiny.

He was surprised to find that her face had grown distant, and she looked away from his own gaze when she noticed it.

Ember spoke, and Barry turned back to him. “Son or daughter?”

“Both… I had two children. Twins."

“I...am sorry. That is harsh. I’d hate to outlive my children…”

“...thank you.”

“I am also sorry I tried to get Eobard to kill you. It was a vicious, vindictive, and rather pathetic move on my part. It’s good he was strong enough to see right through it...and to hold back from not killing me. It would have been _so_ easy for him, especially since he had no idea who I was... You should be proud of the effort he puts into being someone you can trust and love... It can't be easy for him, given what he is...but I can see that he really cares about you.”

“I am proud of him…”

* * *

Eobard followed Cisco back into the cortex. He heard the dimensional metahuman speak in a falsely-light tone, “Barry, just how many homicidal supervillains are we planning on releasing in the near future? Because I’m pretty sure I just filled my lifetime quota.”

“Don’t worry. Not many, Cisco,” Barry replied. "You know better than most that we aren't the law. We're vigilantes. We take the law into our own hands."

"Yeah, I know. Doesn't mean I always like it, though."

The elder Thawne raised an eyebrow at Cisco. “You’re letting me go?”

He groaned in response. “Don’t remind me… but yes. We're letting you go. However, there's a catch. You have to give up being Darkstar. Give us all of your sources and contacts. Can you do that?”

“Yes...I do believe I can...for my family, if nothing else… Perhaps if I had given up on this long ago, I may have been able to help Eobard when he was faced with this part of himself...and Aubriena might still be alive... As it was, I was completely blind to all of it.”

“I’m holding you to that,” Eobard said. “If there’s even a _hint_ of Darkstar or any super-powered assassin that is suspiciously like you, I will lock you away in the metahuman cells downstairs forever... As it stands, I’m only releasing you because Eisla could use some good news…”

"I visited her at the hospital once," his father said, "when she was asleep. I'm glad she is awake, now, though. I wish to speak with her again."

"You'll talk to her soon enough." Eobard walked over and unlocked the cuffs. "Just as soon as I've finished up here, we're going to go see her."

His father avoided his gaze. “I’ll just wait in the lobby, then, shall I?"

“Don’t run away...because if you _do_ …”

“Don’t worry. I know I can't outrun a speedster…” He stood up, looked around at them once more, then exited the room.

“Well,” Cisco said, “I guess we should be getting back to Wustread. City to protect and all.”

"So soon?" Barry asked.

"We came for Darkstar," Gypsy answered, "and that's been taken care of."

He nodded in understanding. "Hey, Caitlin," he said and walked over to her. "I have to admit, I'm surprised you're okay with me and Eob-"

She stood and hugged him. "You've always been there for me, Barry," she said. She pulled back and patted his arm. "I'll always be there for you, whatever happens... And if you can find the good in someone like Eobard...and even Darkstar...then that means there must be good in even the worst of people - myself included."

"What? Of course there is good in you," Barry said. "You're one of the wisest and best people I know."

“I don’t know…” Her face fell and she glanced away for a moment before continuing, "when Darkstar mentioned children...I remembered then. When I was first Killer Frost, I swung back and forth between her and Caitlin Snow a lot. And in those moments when I was myself, I was too ashamed to come home… Too ashamed of what I'd done, of what I was, to ask for help. I kept going to different Earth’s...and one day… I met someone and fell in love. I did have a child, Barry. A son. And then I became Killer Frost again, and I abandoned him. That was the last time I was Caitlin Snow... I don’t even know where he is now, or if he’s even still alive…”

“I...I'm sorry, Cait, but that wasn’t your fault,” Barry said, face filled with sympathy.

"It was.”

“It was Killer Frost.”

She shook her head. “If I’d just asked someone, anyone, for help…”

“We all make mistakes, Cait,” he said, hands on her shoulders, looking in her eyes. “Hey. How about this - we’ll find your son, one day, okay? We’ll find out what happened to him.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Barry,” Caitlin said, drawing away and seemingly into herself. “Even if he is still alive... He wouldn’t forgive me. How could he? I can’t even forgive myself.” She exhaled.

Cisco came over and embraced her. “Sorry,” he said, patting her back.

"Thank you…” She sounded almost on the verge of tears now. “I couldn’t do this without you two. You’re the best friends I’ve ever had...and I know that Killer Frost wasn't...she wasn't me...but at the same time...it's really hard to convince myself."

Eobard spoke up, "you'll find a way to forgive yourself, Caitlin. I believe in you."

She pulled out of Cisco’s hug and faced him. Eobard was surprised when she walked right up to him, sticking her hand out. "Thank you," she said, composure returned. "If Barry trusts you, then so do I...and I forgive you, too."

She forgave him - Caitlin, whose entire life was turned upside down by _his_ particle accelerator, who had no real reason to trust him other than her love for Barry.

Eobard shook her hand, a genuine smile filling his face. "I should thank _you_. I wasn't expecting forgiveness... It feels better than I expected."

"Just..." Caitlin shook her head and trailed off. She turned her gaze to Barry, who smiled encouragingly back at her. She fixed her gaze back onto Eobard's, and there was some added confidence.

The way Barry empowered people - it was a super power of its own, he thought.

She spoke, "I don’t know what happens from here on out, with Time Demon, or any other future enemies… and he hardly needs it - but please, if your feelings for him are true...just...keep him safe."

Eobard responded, "you're right, he doesn't need it. He’s quite capable of keeping himself safe. But...I will. I won't let Time Demon or anyone else so much as scratch him." He realized himself the instant the words left his mouth, and he wanted to groan at his carelessness. He hadn't meant for that last sentence to slip out in front of everyone else. He was instantly uncertain if he should try to amend his statement, or just take the response he would inevitably gain for it.

"Awww," Gypsy said in the lull that followed, a grin on her face. "Isn't that sweet, Babe?" She leaned on Cisco with her smirk firmly in place that said she had more motivation to what she'd said than simple observation.

Cisco appeared exasperated. “No comment from me," he announced, arms folded with determination.

That sparked a giggle from both Barry and Caitlin, and just the slightest blush from the former. Eobard forced himself not to _actually_ groan and instead smiled, tolerating the sudden awkward attention.

"Anyway," Cisco said in a loud voice, "before this gets more weird, I'm just going to change the subject now-" at the disappointed 'oh' from Gypsy, he continued more quickly - "I really hope Evil Senior is turning a new leaf. I’d hate to have to go through this again.”

"I'll make sure of it," Eobard assured him.

"I think he is," Caitlin said, turning to her friend, "and if so, one less thing to worry about. That's always good."

Vibe murmured something to Gypsy, then looked around at them, expression unreadable, but Eobard thought he may have detected some nostalgia there. "Well," he spoke, a hand clasping Gypsy's, "we should probably conclude this and get home."

"I'm going first," Gypsy said, "to explain the situation to the others at Wustread - that is, why we don't have Darkstar with us. Don't worry, Eobard, I won't tell them his identity." She released Cisco's hand. "I'll simply say that he's gone...for good, now."

Eobard nodded. "I appreciate that."

With a final glance, she raised her hand, and a breach opened. She leapt through it and vanished.

Silence followed.

Barry broke it, "hey, man," he said to Cisco, stepping towards him.

"I know what you're about to say," Cisco replied, holding up a hand. "And, you know what? I can be uncomfortable with you and, ugh,  _Thawne_  - sorry, just thinking it and saying it is a _little_ weird, and there's no other way to describe it...but I don't think I can stay mad at you anymore, Barry. I know...things can be complicated between...any two people, especially enemies, because at the end of the day, we're all still human..."

Eobard found himself staring at the floor.

"Eobard," Cisco's voice reached him, clear and without even a hint of negativity.

He was amazed to hear his name spoken like that from the other - his _actual_ first name, not a scathing nickname, nor a passive-aggressive use of _Thawne_. He looked up. "Cisco."

The meta who he'd once thought was so much like a son he'd never had crossed the room until he stood in front of him. "Thank you for your help." There was no hesitation in the words, no mocking, no loathing.

Eobard felt his face transform into a smile. "It was my pleasure."

For a moment, Cisco merely observed him. "I don't understand you," he finally said, eyes narrowed. "After everything... Why the change of heart? Why now?"

"Does that mean you think I'm not evil?" Eobard couldn't help but ask.

"No," Cisco returned, annoyance creeping into his tone, "my question should in no way indicate that I think such. Are you going to answer? Or not?"

"I guess... I realized I was wrong...about a lot of things..." He looked at Barry. "This Flash is not my enemy. The Flash I grew to hate...he’s gone."

"Well," Cisco returned, causing the Reverse to look back at him, "maybe you're a little less evil than I thought. A _little_." He held his thumb and forefinger apart a few millimeters to demonstrate. "Like, this much."

Eobard folded his arms, surprised once again at how happy he was to hear Cisco's words. He chuckled. "At this rate - maybe one day, you'll forgive me."

"Don't push your luck, Dr. Evil," Cisco said, though he did smile just enough, eyes crinkling. "And because Barry's my best friend, I have to warn you, if-"

"If I hurt him, you'll torture me and send me to the lowest pits of hell," Eobard said. "Yeah, I know that already. I got a taste of it the last time you were here, so we can skip this awkward protective-brother talk, right?"

Cisco pointed and raised an eyebrow. "Okay, but don't you dare forget it."

He pivoted and returned to Barry.

"Thank you," Barry said. “It means a lot to me, Cisco - to hear that.”

"You know, Barry, I'm used to you doing things that agitate me. But I can never abandon you.... I just...seriously, though, be careful with that one… I actually do want to believe that he's genuine, but it's really hard for me to trust him. Maybe...in time."

"That's all I ask, Cisco."

"Stay safe...well, as safe as a superhero can stay."

They embraced for a few seconds.

"You too."

"You'll beat the Time Demon. In fact, I'll come back to help, if you want."

Barry smiled. "I appreciate it, but...I don't know if that's a good idea... It might just get annoyed and kill you, too. And that's something I definitely don't want."

"Yeah, I really wasn't much use against it, but I'm more than willing to try again. Message me," Cisco said, "because you'll need to work on the Punch. I believe we need to rethink some parts of it and see if it can be modified to affect the Time Demon in a more lethal way next time."

"It did seem to hurt it. And that's a good a place as any to start."

Cisco nodded and went to Caitlin.

"See you, Barry," she said.

"Bye, Cisco, Caitlin."

He waved then gave a playful salute. He opened a portal and the two vanished through it. The breach closed.

The two speedsters were left alone in the room. “Well,” Eobard said into the silence. Barry turned to him. “I guess I should go and act as a liaison between my father and sister. That’ll be interesting. A lot’s going to be spilled...It’s going to break her heart… She’s going to learn that I’m Reverse Flash… Huh. I never thought my family would ever know… I was so worried about them finding out for so long...and my father was just the same... How will Eis ever look either of us in the eyes again?”

“She’ll forgive you," Barry said with confidence that Eobard didn't feel. " _Both_ of you. You're her family."

“I hope so… I’ll be back after a while.” Eobard made for the door before he could change his mind about all of this.

Because, really, he'd much rather spend his time with Barry than in what was likely to be a very unpleasant family talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for any typos or repetitious writing. I'm super tired at the moment, and I quite suddenly developed a headache halfway through my last edit. But I was determined to get this chapter out before I went to bed, so I hope there weren't any errors. XD Though, there always seem to be a few, no matter how much I try not to let them slip past me.


	38. Natural and Artificial, Reality and Falsehoods

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These chapters have been freaking huge... D,X NEXT CHAPTER IS SHORTER, I PROMISE! (hopefully it'll be out sooner because of that)

Eobard walked into the hospital room with Emberson in tow. He heard the door close behind them.

Eisla stirred in the bed. She blinked and rubbed her eyes, then dropped her arms. “Eobard?” she asked.

“Sister...there’s someone who needs to tell us some...thing."

“There...is…?” Her eyes locked onto Emberson, widening. “Dad? DAD!” She sat up and started to move as if she intended to climb off the bed and march right up to her father.

"Wait-wait-" Eobard hurried over and stilled her, "don't get up."

"I'm fine," she huffed. "Dad is standing right there, and you're-"

Emberson was already there, though, and he embraced her before she could push past Eobard. "Eisla," he murmured.

She wrapped her arms around him tightly. “It's...really you," she said, "I hoped...when they never recovered your body… I know it was silly of me, but I hoped…you were still...alive...” She began to cry, sobbing into his shoulder.

“I’m sorry, Eisla,” he said, rubbing her back, “...that I put you through this…”

"You're home now. That's all that matters." She pulled back to look into his face, wiping fiercely at her tears. “Why...why didn't you come home sooner?" She asked after she'd regained her composure. "Were you lost? Unconscious? Did someone find you and not know who you were?"

He sighed. “It's a long story, dear... We...need to talk. All three of us.” He stroked his short beard slowly. “You may want to lean back and get comfortable... What I’m about to say...will not be easy to hear.”

Eisla shook her head. “I’ll be fine," she said with exasperation. "I’m a grown woman...”

“My good, strong daughter…” Emberson dropped into the visitor's chair. "I think I'll sit, though." 

Regardless, Eisla settled back onto the bed, focused on the elder Thawne.

“Come on, Dad,” Eobard said, “stop delaying. She needs to know.”

She glanced back and forth between them, mystified.

“Have you heard of the Darkstar Assassin?” Emberson asked.

“I...think I've heard a little bit on the news.” Eisla looked even more confused. “But what does _he_ have to do with anything?"

“I...am...that man.”

“What? What does that mean?” Eisla shifted, eyes narrowed. “That's nonsensical."

He exhaled. “I’m a metahuman.”

A few seconds passed, and she stared at him with an expression that said she was trying to determine if he was joking or not.

Eobard knew that he may as well get his own truth over with, too, before he lost his nerve. “And I am Reverse Flash,” he said, catching her gaze as he raised his hand. “Also a metahuman.” He vibrated it, small flickers of red electricity surrounding his fingers.

Eisla gaped, eyes switching back and forth between the two of them.

Eobard lowered his arm, holding his breath.

Understanding came over her features. “I’m," she hesitated, then murmured, "dreaming, right now. I keep having dreams where Mom and Dad are alive...and...no..." she shook her head, her blonde locks trembling. She looked down at the hospital bed she lay in for a moment. "....it’s not a dream. I know it's not." She glanced back at the assassin. "This explains why you run off to Wustread at abnormal times, Father, claiming that to be on 'business'.” Her brow scrunched, face darkening. “Why did you hide this from me? For so long?”

“To try and protect your sense of normalcy," Emberson replied with a sigh. "I also kept this secret from Eobard,” he added with a gesture to his son. "Until now, anyway."

Eobard nodded. “And I hid my secret from all of you."

She stared once more for several long seconds, and Eobard felt his nerves knot, certain she was about to explode and cry and shout. This calm before, though, unnerved him. He couldn't stand his sister being silent. She was always so bright and chatty and cheerful. Now, she was the most hushed he was sure he'd ever seen her in his life, and her posture and expression radiated negativity.

Then-

“Does Barry know about you being Reverse Flash?” Eisla asked in a demanding tone, frowning at her brother with harshness. "You can't hide something like this from the people you love." Her voice was laced with bitterness.

_Wait...she’s concerned about that?_ Eobard was astonished his sister was taking it so well. Perhaps she was in shock, and the truth hadn't sunk in for her fully yet? Or maybe she was just waiting for the right _moment_ to burst with emotion. “He knows… He’s the Flash.”

Eisla sat forward in the bed, eyes wide. “I.. oh my _god_ , it all makes sense now. You were always…in love with the Flash...but Reverse Flash is Flash’s enemy? Oh, I see. There was a falling out, and-"

“Aren’t you hearing me?” Eobard asked. “You just found out your brother and father are murdering criminals, and you seem...okay?”

“Part of that’s old news,” she announced with determined calmness and a wave of her hand, but her façade seemed to be forced, holding back the real response she wanted to have. “I already knew you were Reverse Flash, Eo, and I dealt with those feelings long ago… Though I didn’t know Barry was the Flash. I didn’t know about Father, either. I guess, because of that, I kind of expected this, on some level. But I have to ask - was Mom a criminal, too?”

“Not that I’m aware of,” Emberson said with a sad sigh. "See, now you're questioning everything you knew. This is why I did not wish to share my secret."

"You still should have," Eisla said with a disapproving scowl. "And you should have, too, Eobard." She looked almost like she wanted to scold him for not showing up to a party, only it was ten times more severe.

Eobard struggled to wrap his mind around this entire situation. “Eis... You...knew that I was Reverse Flash?”

“Yes. I saw you use your superspeed, once. Well, I did not see  _you_ , exactly - just a blur of yellow and red streak from a place where you were standing a moment before... It was several years ago, but I never forgot it. I saw the red lightning, and I knew you were Reverse Flash.”

“And you kept quiet all this time...why? You knew I was...murdering people and doing terrible things...and you... _ignored_ it?”

"And if I did?" She said, jutting her chin, eyes shining with unshed tears.

"I just... You... Why _would_ you, though? I don't understand-"

“Because," she cut him off, "I was... _scared_." She blinked hard.

Eobard flinched, feeling like he'd been punched in the gut. "Of me?"

" _No_ ," she snapped, exasperated. "Of course not, idiot. I was scared of _losing_ you. I was scared that you'd be locked away forever if anyone else found out - including Mom and Dad... And I was afraid if I let on that I knew, to you, that you would leave and never come back, thinking I would tell your secret to them.... What could I do? Tell the world my brother was a murderer and ruin our reputation? Would they even believe me, since I had no evidence, and no other witnesses? And if they did, the police couldn't catch you, the Flash couldn't catch you - there was _nothing_ I could have done, even if I'd wanted to. So, I worked through it, instead. I knew you would never hurt _us_... You loved us... No matter what you did... And I decided it was enough knowing that you would be Eobard for us, even if you were Reverse Flash to the rest of the world...”

"Eis..." Eobard whispered.

"No matter what you did, Eo, I still love you, and I never quit loving you. You're my brother."

He was speechless.

In spite of everything, she smiled slightly before she looked back to their dad. "So, Father, how exactly _did_ you become an assassin, anyway?" Eobard could tell the lightness in the question was forced.

Emberson sighed. “It’s my DNA… The Thawne bloodline has had a shadow hanging over it for quite a long time. There’s a rumor, you’ve probably heard, Eisla - that our fortune was gained through illegitimate channels. Some even speculated that our wealth came from ancient casinos, brothels, drug-dealers, and just all around crime-committing. This is not true… Not _exactly_ , anyway...

“Not so long ago, there existed an arm of the government, known as ARGUS. Advanced Research Group United Support. Command of the group fell to one of my ancestors - a Thawne. He and a few others in ARGUS came up with an idea - an idea to create pure, cold-blooded killers who could deal with terrorists, small-scale hostiles, enemy spies, etcetera without fear, without remorse, without trauma. They’d be immune to corruption, influence, bribery, torture - even pain and psychological backlash... Sure, we had spies who did something similar, but we didn’t have _purebred_ killers of _that_ level.

"Around this time, gene technology had become quite popular thanks to the efforts of Dr. Arthur Wynter... And he was part of this group in Argus... There was four of them, and they were - as I understood it - close friends. They called themselves the Brothers of Evolution - a rather fancy and ostentatious title, but they were extremists. They studied several types of people: some with mental disorders like sociopathy and psychopathy, others with extreme tolerances to pain and discomfort, others with mutated DNA and powers, and such was their trend - declaring what they decided was a strength for their wanted agent.

"After years of research and testing, they developed what they called the Wynter-Purity Gene in honor of Dr. Wynter. It was their greatest achievement. The Brothers then underwent an operation to ensure the gene was installed into their reproductive DNA. They would not be the superhumans themselves, of course. Instead, the burden would fall to their offspring when they reproduced - a decidedly sentimental and rather cultic decision, it seems, to also prove their loyalty to the cause... The firstborn child alone would be born to be an impossibly strong and intelligent killer, and would be raised within ARGUS to learn to love his country, to do anything for it. Meanwhile, this child would grow and be shaped into the assassins they wanted. Then, they would be gifted metahuman powers. Somehow, this tradition survived for nearly a century, until ARGUS was finally shut down a few decades ago. I was the last Thawne to run missions with the Brothers’ grandchildren under the command of Dr. Sylaise Rosling...and I am the sole survivor of those missions.. Before I was released, I was sterilized to ensure this gene would die away with me...but my wife was already pregnant, which I took measures to hide from them - afraid of what they might do if they knew. I even killed a few people for it…

"And then... Aubriena became pregnant again, despite the procedure. Eisla, you were an unexpected surprise. I admit, with some shame that I thought your mother had cheated on me, but the DNA test confirmed otherwise… I suppose my metahuman powers somehow counteracted the procedure."

"Hold a second," Eobard spoke up, "Did you say Dr. Sylaise Rosling?"

"Yes? Why?"

"I worked for him for a time."

Emberson blinked. "Yes. That's right. He did open his own scientific research facility, didn't he? I almost forgot about that."

"It's a little odd," Eobard said. "Didn't he know of me then, when I came to work for him?"

"I was good friends with Sylaise," Emberson said. "He loyally kept you a secret from those who'd shut ARGUS down, especially since I convinced him you weren't a danger.... I guess I was wrong."

"That's a surprise," Eobard replied with an ironic smile. "His company was a terrible work environment."

"I never said he was the easiest of men to get along with. I'm sure that particular quality reflected in his workers." His father turned back to Eisla and continued, “to answer your question of how I became an assassin - after my work for ARGUS and Rosling, I couldn’t imagine returning to a completely normal, domestic life. I was used to killing and running dangerous missions... So I retook up that line of work, being an assassin. It kept the bank bloated with extra money - seeing as I was out of a job, as well - that I could provide a perfect life for the rest of you…”

“We certainly did have everything,” Eisla said, tone nostalgic. “But I never thought that it was blood money paying for my prom dresses…” She shook her head with amazement. “And mine and Eobard’s education…”

Emberson's expression fell. He once again turned to his son. “But Eobard… In spite of my efforts to keep you a secret from ARGUS when you were born, and protect you, I knew there was a chance the Wynter-Purity Gene would activate in you. And if it did, it would be very dangerous. I did not know how to raise someone with such genetics, the way ARGUS did. But, I'd hoped the gene would remain dormant, as it sometimes did. Occasionally, ARGUS had to activate it themselves while the child was still in development... Looking back, that was a foolish hope, I see... I should have watched you more closely. I didn’t feel like I needed to, though. You were _such_ a sweet child, so full of life and love. The Flash was your childhood idol. You loved everything that man stood for…and you wanted to make a difference in the world by being a scientist. You spoke of such ideals, of being a hero...things _I_ never would have dreamed speaking of as a child... I never saw a killer in you...not even a hint…

“So I asked myself, what changed? My best answer is that when you altered your genetics to become a speedster, you accidently activated the dormant gene.” He sighed. “Then, all you had to do was wait a few recycles of the body's cell - which I imagine happens more quickly in a speedster - and soon you'd become the purebred killer of ARGUS's engineering... It explains your distance from the family for the past several years...around the same time Reverse Flash was first known to Central City.”

“You didn’t get suspicious, though?” Eisla asked. "When he became distant - when Reverse Flash appeared?"

“No. I did not. I admit I never paid much attention to Reverse Flash. I wasn't a vigilante, after all... And as for Eobard, why would he want to be bound to his family for the rest of his life? I already knew he was not one for the more social aspects of being a Thawne, anyway. I never expected he'd continue that part of our legacy.” He leaned back. “I even thought he was being distant because of his lack of employment, and he recently confessed that he was also avoiding us because he was uncertain what our reactions would be when we learned of his sexuality… I should have realized the ploy, the red herring to distract us from the truth.... Why _would_ such a thing bother us, anyway?"

"Actually," Eobard pointed out, "you do remember that granduncle Maximillian and grandaunt Elizabeth were both disowned by your grandparents for homosexuality and consorting with the lower class, right? I did have some cause to hesitate in sharing that truth."

"And you know I was close with Uncle Max and Aunt Beth," Emberson shot back. "My grandparents were radicals that wanted to bring back ancient and outdated beliefs."

"And yet, the disowning was covered up after my great-grandparents passed away."

"You _are_ paranoid. It was covered up by my parents to preserve the Thawne reputation, not because we supported it. In fact, both Aunt Beth and Uncle Max agreed with the decision and were integrated back into the family... And that kind of inability to fully trust anyone has always been one trait of yours that worried me since you were young, but it still didn't seem enough to indicate anything off... Regardless, you fooled us all, because we expected nothing less. I should have known even without that little hint, though. I was around killers for so long, raised by them, running missions with them… I should have seen it in your eyes, Eobard…”

“Perhaps if you had warned me. I would never have changed my DNA - would never have activated this...Wynter-Purity Gene.”

“Oh, you still would have. You always had an active ‘stubborn’ gene,” chuckled Emberson. “Tell me you wouldn’t have become a speedster, even knowing this.”

“You’re probably right. Still, perhaps a little communication on the matter might have helped.”

“I thought I was protecting you… Your mother knew all of this, and she agreed.”

Eobard might have been surprised to hear that, but he wasn't, at this point. "Of course she did," he muttered.

Ember sighed again.

“Well,” Eisla said, leaning back, “I'm still absorbing everything, but what I do know, is that I have you both back in my life, no walls amongst us, and that’s the most I can ask for now."

"You aren't angry with me?" Emberson asked.

"Should I be? You were raised to kill - taught that it was how you survived, how you provided for your family and country. I can't even blame you for lying. You were basically brain-washed, conditioned to be that way... But you are going to stop killing, now, aren't you?"

"I gave up my identity to Vibe, the vigilante that was hunting me. I couldn't be an assassin anymore even if I wanted to be."

"Good." Then, Eisla looked at Eobard.

He started, "I know I-"

"Shut up," she interrupted, "and listen to me. I don't know what provoked you to be Reverse Flash - apart from the gene, I mean - but you made up with the Flash, right? You are done killing, too?"

Eobard exhaled but nodded. "Yes. I am. Are you sure you're alright after hearing all this, Eis?"

"I feel a little uprooted, but I'll be okay," she said, leaning back. "I'm a Thawne, remember? We all are."

“I... Honestly...I thought this conversation was going to go a _lot_ worse.”

“I’m just grateful you finally found the courage to tell me,” Eisla said. “And that you had the courage to make up with Barry… You can be a great person, when you try, Eo.”

He snorted. “Maybe you’re expecting too much from me…” _Just like Barry,_ he couldn't help but think.

“I don’t think so," Eisla responded with a shake of her head. "Remember, both of you, killing is a choice. You don't have to kill because of your genetics.... You _can_ fight it, resist it. And I'm not saying this to be idealistic or romantic. I'm saying it because I  _know_ we are strong people. We are Thawnes, and we always pull through.”

Emberson smiled, and there was no mistaking the pride in his expression. “I’m glad you forgive us, Eis.”

“You say that like there was ever anything to forgive,” Eisla replied. “And there wasn't. For either of you... Even though you should have told me sooner... But you finally did...and that's what matters. I love you both so much.”

They echoed the sentiment, and stayed together for awhile longer, strengthened by their truth, speaking softly of various things that had little importance.

Eobard hoped this was a sign that the nexus to come wasn't going to be the end.

_Or maybe it's opposite,_ his brain suggested darkly, _maybe it's reversed, Eobard_ , _and this small mercy is just to accent how hard fate is about to turn on you._

_Shut up,_ he told it.

* * *

Eobard entered the cortex in STAR Labs a few hours later, noting that the lights were dimmed. He saw the silhouette of Barry in the glow from a terminal, slumped at his usual desk. The holoprojections had already closed out from a lack of attention. “Barry?” He whispered.

He was greeted by silence.

Gideon’s voice quietly informed him, “Mr. Allen’s brain activity levels indicate that he is in a deep sleep, Professor Thawne.”

“Thank you, Gideon,” Eobard responded with mild amusement. “Well, that’s no good.” He stepped over to the speedster slumped across the desk.

He paused, wondering how he got to this point in life.

With a shrug, he slipped his arms around Barry, hoping he wouldn't wake him. He lifted the other up and against his chest.

Really, he shouldn't have been as surprised as he was by how light weight Barry was in his arms. The Reverse Flash's current body was in prime physical condition, thanks to his powers, but not only that, it was engineered specifically to be even stronger than even the strongest non-metahuman body. Not just by ARGUS, as he'd just learned tonight, but also by himself when he'd returned to this timeline from the past. He'd had to regrow his body from his DNA, and he'd made some enhancements then to it.

_And I didn't even notice the evidence of genetic-engineering, either._ But now that he thought of it, he did seem to remember noting that his original DNA was odd.

He shrugged those thoughts away. It didn't matter at this point.

Barry was a _feather_ in his grasp - fascinatingly so. The Flash still had the body of the DNA he'd been born with. He'd never had genetic modifications, and he was likewise in prime condition. In spite of that, though, he still managed to be lithe and lean, like a cheetah, all of his muscles compacted into his tall frame. He could even be mistaken for skinny if his clothes were baggy enough.

And Eobard couldn't get enough of it, of knowing Barry's body was natural and not artificial like his own, and yet, somehow still so perfect in its imperfections, so flawless despite his genetics being a roll of the dice - pure chance. It was similar to their powers, he thought. Eobard had engineered his own speed on purpose. Barry had been struck out of nowhere with it, having never asked for it before that fateful moment... And now...now they were here - together, and yet the origins of their existences was still so...

_Reversed,_ he thought. _Always reversed. In everything, every way._

Eobard entered their room. “Gideon, adjust the lights to thirty percent.”

“Yes, professor.”

Eobard placed the man he held upon the bed. To his disappointment, that was the exact moment Barry stirred. The Reverse had hoped to not wake him.

Barry turned his head, blinking at him. He groaned and then yawned. “Eo... Did you…” he squinted sleepily, “carry me? To bed?” He stretched.

“And if I did?” Eobard returned, uncertain if this was a good thing or not. He tugged subconsciously at his sleeve just then.

And Barry laughed in response, his eyes dancing with amusement and warmth up at him. “Then that’s...romantic, Eo…especially for you.”

Eobard shrugged hard, a feeling similar to mortification filling him. “Yeah, well, I didn't want to wake you,” he defended, pulling off his shoes. "But clearly that didn't go according to plan." He tossed his jacket and shirt aside and climbed into the bed next to Barry, settling down. As if on instinct, the Flash pressed closer, curling into him. Eobard responded by putting an arm over him.

“I’m glad to be awake, right now,” Barry murmured into Eobard’s chest.

A few minutes went by in a serene quiet, but Eobard didn't feel tired. And from the rise and fall of Barry's chest, he knew the other was still awake, too. “ _Ad astra per aspera_ ,” Eobard murmured. His fingers found the other’s hair and stroked the dark, short strands with fondness, letting his fingertips graze the skin underneath. “To the stars through adversity.”

Barry seemed to lean into his touch, pushing even closer to Eobard like he were pulled by a magnetic polarity to his reverse. “Is that how you feel right now?” He asked in a whisper.

“I'm not a religious man, Barry...but sometimes I believe in destiny. And this is one of those times. This is just so...perfect and _right -_ like it was meant to be." And there was no other way to describe this night, he knew.

“Well, I’m glad you’re so happy. It suits you..." Barry traced a circle on his reverse's shoulder absently. "I take it that means everything went fairly well with your family?”

“I'll tell you the details later, if you want, but...suffice it to say, it definitely went better than I expected. Can you believe that woman, Eisla? Sometimes, I forget she’s an adult, and I find myself still thinking of her as my little sister...but not tonight. She was disappointed, that we didn’t tell her the truth sooner, but a lot less angry than I expected her to be. She said there was nothing to forgive.”

“I told you,” Barry replied, his voice as warm as the sun in summertime. “She loves you.”

“Yeah… I know.” Eobard marveled at this moment between them, so relaxed and comfortable in the arms of the Flash. It almost seemed like it shouldn't even be possible - a paradox. “I used to wonder why you didn’t save your mother the first time I gave you the opportunity...but now I know why.” He shifted his hand and took Barry’s, holding it.

The other speedster raised an eyebrow. “Do you?”

“Yeah...because sometimes to have what you want... You have to take risks...and be capable of tolerating loss if it doesn’t work out... The Time Demon... _My_ mother’s death. _Your_ mother’s death. And all of those people I killed… All of the lives you've saved… All of the mistakes we made… All of the horrible things in our history, both this timeline and the last...every atrocity...and also all of the good things, all of the wonderful, incredible, and inspiring moments... It took all of that for this one moment to exist here and now, for me to lie here with you and hold your hand and think of how much it all means to me…”

“Whoa, you’re being rather emotional tonight,” Barry remarked, tilting his face up to meet the Reverse's gaze. “I certainly wasn't expecting this."

Heat filled Eobard's cheeks. "I'm just observing."

"It's a good observation... It's just... I’m not exactly sure how to respond to it. I’m not used to it." His expression grew playful. "Why don't you _teach_ me how to react, _Professor Thawne_.”

Eobard shivered with sudden pleasure. After going fifteen hellish years of being no one but Doctor Harrison Wells - even to Gideon - there was something so delicious in hearing Barry say _Professor Thawne._ Especially when his tone was _that_ sensual and filled with desire. He lowered his face to Barry’s. “Wow, could you call me that again?”

“Professor Thawne,” Barry indulged.

“You want me to teach you how to respond to me right now? Alright.” He grinned. “...Kiss me.” Then, because he couldn't help himself, he added impishly, “And you could fuck me while you're at it so I can see how well you've retained the information you learned last night.” 

Barry smiled at him. “Of course, _Professor_.” 

He leaned up and their lips touched. Electricity pulsed through Eobard. Warm hands slid over his bare skin. Barry sat up and moved onto him, straddling his thighs. He pulled his own shirt off, tossing it to the floor. His eyes flickered with electricity. Eobard filled with excitement and satisfaction, the Speed Force igniting around them. He felt the other speedster lift off of him for a moment. The next thing he was aware of, both their pants hit the floor in a _flash_.

_Heh._

And then Barry _touched_ him.

“Damn,” Eobard murmured in appreciation.

“Come on. Beg for it, Professor.”

“Please, Flash. Please get me off!”

Flash's hand _vibrated_.

Reverse Flash gasped, eyes closing. Overwhelming sensations flooded him. The Flash moved his arm, increased his speed. Energy flooded Eobard's system, and his senses heightened as time slowed. He groaned at the feeling, eyes opening to arcs of electricity that crawled in the air around them. Barry found his lips, hand still moving. He deepened the kiss, and Eobard was lost in this moment between them.

_This feeling,_ he thought. _There is nothing artificial about it. There is nothing engineered about Barry and I and the way we come together so flawlessly. These feelings are natural, and grown from years, decades, centuries of who we were and what we've done. This sensation, it's made up of a hundred emotions that evolved of their own accord to consume me._

No genetic-engineering would ever change _that_. It was set in stone.

Barry pulled back just enough and whispered on his lips, “that's right. Come for me, Professor Eobard Thawne.”

This Barry - his Barry - was truly incredible.

Eobard felt his thoughts vanish in blinding pleasure, and his back arched. He hit the zenith of his emotions and rapture, and came underneath of the Flash.

“I love it when you moan like that, Eo."

Eobard inhaled and exhaled, trying to catch his breath. His heart pounded. “That was _exquisite_.”

Barry murmured in gentle triumph, “I do believe I just learned something new, that is - one of your kinks." He moved away and reached for the nearby desk, grabbing a towel and a small bottle.

Eobard felt wet fingers sink into him. He was lost in the man's gaze in an instant. _God, you're beautiful, perfect, unparalleled,_ he wanted to say, but the words stuck in his throat and were torn a few moments later from him in the form of an incoherent groan. He watched Barry’s eyes darken even more in response. He reached with his own hand, and traced Barry's erection with a gentle finger. The man gave a soft grunt in response, and shifted. Eobard wrapped his fingers around the Flash, and pulled down. He repeated the movement, appreciating how Barry began to tremble, skin glowing with lightning, his fingers inside the Reverse moving more weakly with each tug.

He loved the effect he could have on Barry, the effect that Barry had on him. “There, there,” he murmured, “hero. You _are_ mine now.”

“Gah, enough!” Barry exclaimed. To his reverse's surprise, he pushed his hand away. “You're going to make me come.”

Eobard smirked. “Isn't that the point of sex?”

Barry nearly growled, “I thought you wanted me to fuck _you_ , Thawne.”

Eobard barely registered the shift in movement, then Barry flipped him over with a surge of Speed Force, dragging his hips up. Eobard felt him kneel behind him, thighs against his, throbbing erection on his entrance.

Barry pushed.

Eobard tensed and curled his fists into the bed, trying to relax to the change. He groaned when the Flash filled him.

_Together. Always. Two opposites that cannot exist without each other._

The Flash didn't stop, though. He thrusted and moved faster with each passing moment. Eobard felt the strength of it throughout his entire body, the energy of the Speed Force crackling through his being and on his skin, in the air around them, making him feel more sensitive. He thought he would lose his mind. He rocked back with each push, wanting to feel more, wanting to feel it _all_. He couldn't contain his voice now, and neither could Barry. He wasn't the least bit surprised to realize he was already hard again.

It was good to be a speedster, he reflected.

_Every time is going to be like this,_ he thought with hazy happiness. It was so excellent, a perfect mix of agony and ecstasy he couldn't get enough of with Barry's fingers digging into his hips without mercy, and the thrusts of his thighs resulting in sensations just on the terrific sides of both pain and gratification.

_I want... you to..._ "Touch me," he managed, and he was pleased it sounded like a demand. He may be bottom this time, but that didn't mean he had given up complete control.

And his Barry - always so good - continued to indulge him. His hands relinquished their hold on his hips and moved, stroking his length again. “ _Nnng_ \- Flash,” he moaned, moving against the man's fists desperately. “More. Now. Oh.  _Please_.” There was this wonderful thing about his Barry wrapped all around him like this - not to mention _inside_ him - their skin pressed together, warm and damp, that increased the intensity of the situation even more.

“As. You. Wish. Professor,” Barry said with each thrust. And he gave Eobard more - on both ends, more speed, roughness, and intensity.

Eobard couldn't even think now, and all he could see behind his eyelids, was his Flash, _heroic_ and _graceful_ and _wonderful_.

_Majestic._

Barry slammed into him one final time and stopped, his body tensing. “Oooh - oh Eobard!” He hissed, and Eobard felt him release inside. He felt Barry lean down along his back, kissing his neck and shoulders with his lips, teeth and tongue, biting more than anything. His molecules were singing with a speedster's energy, and Eobard could feel his opposite's ecstasy like it as washing over him, too.

_Fuck_. It felt _sublime_. Even though he'd already been close to Barry's orgasm before, there was something different about it this time, something that was exposed and completely unrestrained. Eobard realized that the other wasn't trying to hide his emotions at all. In fact, he had the suspicion the man was pouring them out into his Reverse intentionally this time, so Eobard would feel it _all_.

_Incredible._ He knew they'd never been _this_ into each other before. He didn't know what had changed, but he was damn grateful for it.

_"Barry."_ He shivered and was catapulted into the edge of his pleasure, gasping at the air with need. He vibrated his cells in a similar way for his Barry. He had the distinct impression of the other speedster curling even tighter onto him. The feeling of bliss increased tenfold, and Eobard would later swear he saw stars. He certainly saw a lot of electricity and color, both golden and crimson.

When Eobard's mind returned to coherence and time was flowing normally again for them, he realized how they'd practically shared each other's ecstasy. The Flash pulled out and took the next moment to clean both of them with the towel.

"Did you know that would happen?" Eobard commented when Barry was done.

" _Maybe_ ," came the sly response. Arms grabbed Eobard and dragged him to the bed with him, the warm body pressing against his back.

"So you _have_ retained what you learned..." Eobard shifted, twisting over to face the man. He enjoyed the sight of his flushed face, his tousled hair, the shimmer of sweat on his skin. "And two orgasms. You're spoiling me. That's two to one, you know."

"I know," Barry said with a lazy smile. "But I'm satisfied, especially considering how that that last one went."

"Are you?" Eobard murmured teasingly.

"I am." Barry moved, seeming to be seeking a more comfortable position for his limbs, and Eobard found his gaze roaming down the hero's bare, godly body. He couldn't help it; he couldn't get enough - not even with his eyes. He pushed his face to Barry's, pressing his lips to the man's ear.

"What if I'm not quite done?" He whispered there, pushing himself not-so-subtly onto the other. "What if I need more?"

Barry fidgeted under him, and Eobard saw his words having their effect, saw his cheeks flushing a deeper red again.

"What if I-" Eobard trailed his hand down Barry's warm skin, from his chest to his stomach, fingers splayed, "-need more from _you_ , Barry?"

He felt the Flash shiver under his touch.

"And what if I need you to need more, as well?" Eobard growled, and he gripped Barry's length, which he found was already starting to stiffen again.

"God," Barry groaned, leaning up against Eobard. "We're not getting any sleep tonight, are we?"

The Reverse Flash grinned at him before relinquishing his hold and moving down the speedster's body.

"What are you-?" Barry started with surprise, then stopped when Eobard pressed his lips to the center of his chest, right where the Flash emblem would be if he were in his suit. The Reverse shifted lower, running his mouth gently along the man's abdomen. "Are you-?" Barry tried again, but the Reverse paused at his waist, and bit down, sucking at his skin. Barry gave a low groan in response. Eobard kept at it until the chosen spot was angry red. He lifted his head to observe his work. He could feel Barry's hardness pressing against his arm now.

The entire situation was exquisite.

"I wish I could mark you up for more than a few minutes," Eobard said with disappointment. Already, the mark was fading away, becoming less noticeable by the second. A surge of irritation hit him. This was _his_ Barry, and yet, he had almost no way to physically show it, at least, not on a level as physical and carnal as this.

"Can't have everything, you know," Barry replied, squirming again. Eobard locked his hands on his thighs, coaxing him to stillness.

"I wish I could, though," Eobard said, "with you, I _want_ _everything_."

"Eo..."

He looked up, locking his eyes on the Flash's again. He saw the thrill and curiosity there. He felt so possessive in that moment, that he almost swore to himself that he would find a way around Barry's irritating speed-healing just so he could leave some bites on him - and quite possibly some bruises - anything to prove that this man now belonged to Eobard, and Eobard alone.

He yanked down to the hero's thigh, repeating the futile process with an unforgiving snap of his teeth. Barry gasped and started, letting out a surprised noise. At least the Reverse's ministrations were having the intended affect on his opposite. Barry's arousal couldn't be more obvious, and it was only growing more intense by the second, pulsing against his own arm, buzzing in the other's molecules.

"Eobard," Barry's voice was strained, "I don't need you to-"

Eobard pulled away from his leg with a suddenness that cut the other off again. He shifted his upper body back a few inches and turned his head. He pressed his lips to the side of Barry's erection and ran them up, to the tip.

"Oh my god." Barry inhaled, and he gave a small noise that was almost like a protest. "Eo, you don't have to do that if you don't wan-"

"Oh, I _want_ to," he said against him in his throatiest voice, exhaling warm air on his sensitive skin. "I've been wanting to do this for awhile. I'm sure you'll have no complaints, Barr."

He parted his lips and sank his head down, listening to the musical sound of Barry's drawn-out moan fall over his ears.

Eobard wasn't ever going to let him go again.

Ever.

He would do anything to ensure that, he knew. _Anything._ No matter how hard it may be. _But what if I'm not given a choice? It's not like I was given one before._ But this time was different. This time, Barry was _actually_ his. This time, Barry wouldn't ever be willing to let him go. And that had to be enough, right? This time, this thing between them was a reality. Before, it'd been artificial and fake, a scheme for a cheap thrill that had been so costly for Eobard alone. Before, the Flash hadn't cared for him in the slightest - had only cared for himself.

Eobard pulled his thoughts from that and kept at Barry, unraveling him once more.

And no, the hero had no complaints. In fact, he had very few words left that made any sense until his Reverse was finished.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Eo has a name kink thanks to his little adventure to the past, but I think we already knew that from the time vault scene in season 2 ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ....(sorry)
> 
> I'm also sorry for the smut... X( I just...I love smut, especially in a romance... And my policy has always been to write the kind of fics I want to read, so....I hope it's enjoyable/fun to read... :,) *sweats nervously*  
> ...And, on the chance you're enjoying my smut, I have written an explicit fic featuring Eobarry set during Flashpoint. It's erm, naughtier and more pornographic-ish than the scenes in this story, though, just to warn you if you're interested (but there is a teeny bit of plot-stuff too, sorta). I don't know what I was thinking, tbh...??? ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ ??? ...It's the latest one-shot on my profile...
> 
> Also, I did get some feedback a while ago saying that sexuality probably won't be as big of an issue in the future in response to Eo's "coming out". And I realized they were probably right, which makes my Eo "coming out" a bit immersion-breaking. This is why I added the bit with his granduncle and grandaunt, though it should have been mentioned sooner, in a story-wise sense. If I were to rework this, I'd probably add a small mention of this way back in chapter 11. Which I may do. I'll let you readers know if I do.


	39. Live Like You'll Never Die

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is now four days until the nexus, the day the Time Demon returns....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eh, so you know how I said this chapter would be shorter? Um, well, it is...but probably by only about a 1,000 words. XD I don't know how this happens, I swear. (It all happens during the editing part, too!)
> 
> Anyway, I wanted to apologize if you got notified a day or two ago about an update (my sense of time is all messed up because I stayed up all night the night before last due to my dog being sick), I had my chapter in here as a draft but not fully edited. I accidently hit the post button instead of the edit button, and so I had to delete. XD Darned site. It's so easy to hit the wrong button, ugh. I will attempt to be more careful of that in the future. :/
> 
> And, for some reason, I really enjoyed writing the first portion of this chapter. (I mean, I enjoyed all of it, but I have my favorite scenes, and this was one of them).

_Why does this sort of thing always happen at the worst possible times?_ Barry thought, grimacing to himself.

He observed the man that stood in the empty road a few feet away. He had a bright, jovial face that smiled at Barry as he waved a bag of stolen diamonds around high above his shoulder. Barry had discovered that the thief was a shapeshifter with the capabilities of morphing into any creature he wished, and every time the Flash lay his hands on him, he transformed into something disagreeable, such as a butterfly or a rhinoceros.

The Flash lamented the fact that he had forgotten his communicator, so he couldn't exactly get Eo's help, either. It was a dumb mistake, but he had not gotten halfway through his cup of coffee before the alarm had gone off in the middle of a distracting conversation. _And,_ thanks to the Reverse Flash, he hadn't exactly gotten much sleep the night before, either. It was understandable that he wasn't at the top of his game this morning, he told himself.

“Even the Flash can’t catch me,” The shapechanger gloated. “I love my life.”

Barry frowned at him. He knew if he ran in again, the man would just change once more.

His attention was captured by noise, and he noticed the gathering crowd around them. A group of civillians had meandered over to watch their hero try - and fail - to catch this happy thief. Amongst their numbers, Barry spotted the news anchor-bot pushing its way through the citizens to stand at the front, the metal of its parts gleaming in the morning sunlight. He saw the logo and number stamped across its head and center with bold, loud colors. From them, he knew this bot belonged to the most prominent news channel in Central City. A drone was descending from the sky to hover nearby, the evident counterpart for the bot.

Great, now all of Central City was watching this embarrassing display.

Still, a thought occurred to him because of this development - an idea.

“True,” he spoke, directing his words at the metahuman, “I haven’t been able to catch you. But you haven’t exactly been able to escape me, either.”

"This is true." The man’s face fell with realization. “It seems we are at a tie, then.”

“I have a proposition,” Barry said, the idea growing. He almost smiled to himself. "How about we change up this game of Catch Me if You Can - play it by different rules?"

“I’m...listening.”

“I won’t use my speed to capture you. The catch is, you can’t leave until I’m incapacitated, and you have to stick with the animal you choose.”

"You want to fight? I guess I should have expected that." The meta contemplated. “Still, I was expecting the odds to be in your favor...but they aren’t. Isn’t this a little bit on the dangerous side for you, Scarlet Speedster?”

“I’m tough.”

"If you say so, but don't blame me if you wind up in the hospital." The shapeshifter contemplated some more. “Alright. Fine, I agree.” 

He smiled and transformed again.

Barry stared, a frown growing on his face. “Okay, I know I’m wearing red, but that is  _not_ funny.”

The hulking form of the black bull looked back at him, snorting. It lowered its two massive horns and charged. Barry leapt out of the way of the thundering beast, only just escaping its deadly attack. Barry focused on it and gritted his teeth. The bull turned back around, huffing, and charged again. The Flash twisted out of the way, but pivoted in the same motion and drove his fist into the animal’s side. His punch thudded off the wall of fur and muscle and sent pain coursing from his knuckles to his shoulder. Without his speed, he knew he wasn't going to do any damage.

He had the sudden, horrible realization of just _how_ many ways his plan could go wrong. If he’d miscalculated, which was possible and actually - now that he was giving it extra thought - very probable, he’d end up not only embarrassing himself in front of everyone, but also in a _lot_ of pain.

The bull threw its head around, slamming its horns into Barry. He hit the ground a few feet away, searing pain lancing through his sides. He gasped, vision blurring.

“Had enough?” The meta asked as he transformed back into a human.

“I said you couldn’t leave until I was incapacitated,” Barry replied, pushing to his feet and wincing. “I’m still standing and conscious, aren’t I?”

"You're crazy." The meta's face twisted into a real scowl for the first time in their confrontation. “I don’t like hurting people to that extent, you know. You should really just quit. But I suppose you can’t, because you’re the hero?” He sighed. “Or, you know, a masochist.”

“Trust me, this is going to hurt you a lot worse than it’s going to hurt me,” Barry replied with a smirk. _If my idea works,_ went unsaid.

“If you insist,” the man replied. "Sorry in advance." He shifted back into the bull, dashing forward once more.

Barry stood his ground and gritted his teeth. He felt the impact right through every bone in his body. The bull tossed him away like he was a ragdoll, and he crashed against a car, hard. He cried out, struggling to catch his breath as fresh waves of pain hit him. He was just thankful that the suit dulled a good portion of the damage; he was certain that nothing was broken, even after that direct hit.

He looked up to the angry beast, and watched it lower its horns, pawing at the black asphalt. It rushed him.

_This is going to hurt,_ flitted through Barry’s mind, and he almost flinched.

Almost.

A flash of yellow and red color burst across the scene and vanished. The bull reeled back with a loud bellow. The burst reappeared and once again, the animal was struck, its head jerking to the side from the force of the hit. Barry tapped into the Speed Force. In his sped-up perception of time, he saw the Reverse Flash, striking the bull in the forehead with his fists, multiple times. The now-confused animal struggled to understand what was happening with the dizzying hits from the yellow speedster raining down on it.

_My plan worked,_ Barry thought, relief flooding him. _The element of surprise worked, too._

With a roar, Eobard ran away back down the road, framed in scarlet electricity. Barry watched him pivot and return, fast as a lightning strike. The Reverse Flash reached the bull in the span of a speedster's heartbeat, a grin stretched across his face - no doubt from the thrill of the action, Barry thought. Eobard had always loved his speed. In this instance, there was something about it that was breathtaking to Barry. 

Reverse Flash's fist rained down from above, wreathed in electricity, striking into the animal's snout with an audible crunch. The bull crashed into the ground face-first, shattering the asphalt and showering the road around them in small debris.

Barry relinquished his hold of the Speed Force and watched the bull - now a man - slump to the ground, unconscious.

Eobard stared at the shapeshifter for a moment as if to make sure he was really down, then twisted to the Flash, eyes burning red. His figure was indistinct, his voice growling with distortions when he spoke. _“Have you suddenly become a complete idiot?!”_ he demanded. _“Why would you do that?!”_

Barry clambered to his feet. "It's nice to know you were worried about me."

_"I wasn't."_

"Uh-huh."

The Reverse tore his attention away from him, his gaze raking the crowd. Barry brushed at his suit as he waited for it to sink in for Eobard.

It did.

_“I see.”_ Eobard drew closer and dropped his voice, returning it to his normal, human one. His next words for Barry alone. “You really think we should do this?”

“Why not?” Barry replied. “They’ll have to know, sooner or later.”

The sounds of police sirens were able to be discerned in the distance.

“Flash!” Called an automated voice. "A moment of your time, please!"

Barry saw the news robot trotting towards them. “Is it true that this is the Reverse Flash?” It asked upon reaching him.

“Why don’t you ask him yourself?"

The bot turned to Eobard. “If you will allow me to ask you a few questions, Sir, then I must start with - are you the _actual_ Reverse Flash, the infamous arch-nemesis of the Flash?”

Eobard hesitated, glancing Barry's way for a moment before refocusing on the bot. _“Yes."_

“Intriguing!” came the tone emulating excitement. “Does this mean that you have given up the mantle of supervillain and decided to quit committing crimes?”

Eobard shifted, seeming uncomfortable by the sudden attention on him. Barry wondered if he realized he was, at this moment, on holoscreen for the whole city to see. " _Yes,”_ he replied, and even in distortion, his tone sounded strained with some kind of raw emotion. Barry wondered what it was. He tried to give the man he loved a questioning look, but the Reverse was ignoring his gaze now.

“Do you intend to stand trial for your numerous crimes?”

A few seconds passed without a single word being spoken. Even the civilian crowd was frozen as if they were being viewed through superspeed-perception.

The sirens grew louder, almost upon them.

A sudden, harsh wind blew down the road, cold and biting.

_“No,”_ Eobard said to the bot, thrusting his chin forward in defiance. _“I owe this city nothing... And for your information, this interview is over.”_   In a whirlwind of colors, he turned and sped away. Barry felt the lingering electrons in the air biting at the exposed skin of his lower face.

“Flash,” the bot turned back to the hero. “How do you feel about the Reverse Flash’s answers?”

“It’s what I expected,” Barry replied, “and I’m certain that it’s never going to change. Still, what I believe is important is that no one else will get hurt because of his anger.”

"Flash, Central City must ask-"

Barry didn't wait to hear more, though. He turned and dashed after the yellow speedster, leaving the anchor bot babbling in the street to empty air.

* * *

“You really think that was a good idea?” Eobard asked Barry when they returned to the cortex. In his own opinion, he couldn't help but think it was the worst idea Barry had had yet, and _that_ was saying something. “You know they won’t be happy about it. They won’t just magically forgive me because I kept you from getting mauled by a bull - which, really, you should be _very_ happy about. I was sorely tempted not to help at all and just let you get your ass kicked in front of everyone.”

“Oh, Eo, you wouldn’t have let that happen,” Barry replied in an amused tone.

"I would have. I am _not_ a wrangler of extinct animal species.”

"Doesn't matter. You care too much about me. You love me."

"No, I don't." Eobard drew his mouth into a tight line of agitation at the utter lack of doubt in Barry's voice.

However, his sour answer only seemed to further cement Barry's faith. “I don’t believe you,” he declared. "You're such a liar."

The Reverse Flash took a deep breath, feeling his lungs stretch with the extensive amount of air he inhaled. He held it and counted to five. He let it out in an annoyed sigh. “...Just answer the question - do you really think that was a good idea?”

“I…” Barry paused, as he contemplated his decision - much to Eobard's relief, “I don’t know, honestly. I just don’t want you to have to hide from helping me. There may come a time when I really do need it."

"Then I'll be there," snapped Eobard. "I don't see why I have to pretend to be a hero otherwise."

"See? You do care too much about me!" Barry grinned with triumph. Reverse frowned back, and the Flash continued quickly, "-and there’s a part of me that wants the whole of Central City to know that I trust you - the whole world even. I'm not ashamed. I'm proud. And maybe part of the reason I did that I did out there today, was because I liked the idea of you rushing to my defense.” The smile reattached itself to his lips after he said those words, and he blinked with sweet innocence that he definitely did _not_ have.

Eobard exhaled again, louder than before. This Barry, it seemed, would forever be a romantic. Fine. Arguing wasn't going to change that. “You’re utterly hopeless, Barry Allen... Now, can we get back to the coversation we were having before that thief showed up? The one about stopping the Time Demon?” His words made the smile slide right off of Barry’s face.

In spite of himself, he was disappointed to see it go.

Barry nodded, growing serious in an instant. “Yeah. Alright.” He pulled up the holoscreen once more, and there sat several idle thoughts and random equations that had been written by Eobard about the Time Demon and its abilities, waiting to be of use, if possible. Eobard wasn't convinced any of it _was_ useful. At least eighty percent of it was speculation and conjecture, if not more, and there wasn't much to begin with.

Barry asked, "get any new ideas while punching a bull out?"

The Reverse grabbed an electric marker and twisted it around his fingers. He just wanted something to occupy his hands at the moment, because they itched to do _something_ , anything. "No. I'm stumped," he replied, staring at the letters and numbers floating in the air. "I don't know how to stop this Time Demon, Barry. We know we can't physically overpower it and there's no time to try and become strong enough to face it on equal footing... And we don't know what weaknesses - if any - it may have. You saw out there - Cisco's gun did nothing to it. And in spite of the fact that we're all working as hard as we can, we've got _nothing_."

"I suppose forcefields are out," Barry sighed. "You know, a trap?"

"We all know what happened the last time you tried to use a forcefield to stop an enemy - me, by the way. And this one, who can time-travel? Use the Speed Force?" He shrugged, turning to Barry. "No... Well, I called it; we're going to die."

"No, we aren't," Barry replied, face twisting into annoyance. "We've barely discussed this!"

Eobard tossed the marker over his shoulder. "I know, and it's because we both already know the answer to this pointless _discussion_. No amount of math or speculation is going to fix what we broke," he muttered, stepping away from the hologram. "Our war is destined to happen." He flung himself into his usual chair. "As is our demise."

Barry frowned, but ignored his remark. "There's just something we aren't figuring out." He shook his head, rubbing his temples. "I wish the Time Demon would just tell us what exactly causes our war to resume, so we could avoid doing that thing."

"Maybe it's just an idiot," Eobard said. "Maybe we did end our war, and it can't tell the difference."

"That still doesn't help," Barry pointed out.

"It's still a somewhat comforting thought," he responded moodily. "I wish we could have Cisco vibe, but it'd be like trying to find a needle in a haystack if he doesn't know what to look for, and since..." He looked at Barry, a thought occurring to him. "What if he vibes the nexus? The nexus in which Time Demon returns?"

"I'm already ahead of you on that. I contacted him about it a couple weeks ago. He said that when he vibed it, the entire thing kept changing around, and he couldn't focus on any one scene. I guess that's what a nexus looks like to him when he tries to vibe them."

"Makes sense, I suppose, seeing as a time nexus is very easily changed..." Eobard ran his fingers through his hair. "Maybe we should just...enjoy these last four days like our last and go to our final battle, heads held high-"

"Eob-"

"-And before you yell how we aren't going to die, I'm going to ask you to _please_ , just for once in your life...be realistic."

Barry folded his arms, face screwing up in concentration. "You know, we could try and run away - hide out on another Earth, or maybe even the past."

"Time Demon would probably just figure it out. If that thing can run through time, it can travel through dimensions...it can find us through the Speed Force... We can't run away, because its faster."

"Well," Barry said, "then I think we only have one option - we should work on the gun. It may not have worked that well on him last time, but that's probably because we miscalculated his frequency. I mean, he is a being that exists - he has a frequency we can exploit..." He clenched his jaw. "He's not a Time Wraith, obviously...but what...? How do we figure out a frequency that would harm him enough to stop him?"

Eobard stood and took a few steps toward the projections. His gaze focused on one particular line there.

_-Wishes to change the timeline, the "war"._

"Wait," he said. "What if... What if we calculate an average frequency based on data I've collected from various speedsters over the years."

"Ignoring the creepy fact that you have that kind of hard-to-get info on all the speedsters you've run across over the years." Barry's brow furrowed. "...Why? What good would that do?"

"You were right. We've been looking at this the wrong way," Eobard stated, feeling a small amount of calmness coming over him as he gained a faint sense of control. "We've been thinking of the Time Demon as a _creature_...an other-dimensional being of the Speed Force...like the Time Wraiths."

"Yeah?"

"It uses the Speed Force, sure...but remember what it said when you called it a creature of the Speed Force? It said - _I suppose I am_... What if it isn't, though, and that's why it's answer was so vague. What if...it's simply human?" Eobard asked, gaze fixing on the Flash. "Well, a metahuman... Who else would want to change the timeline, anyway, but a human? Who else would even care? In fact, we know the Speed Force _hates_ disruptions to time, so it wouldn't make sense for a creature of it to be doing that _very_ thing.”

Eobard saw realization dawn on Barry's face. "That makes sense...and speedsters have similar frequencies, I take it?"

He nodded. "Mostly. Of course, there are a few outliers."

"Okay, let's try it, and hope Time Demon isn't one of those outliers."

"Even though the damage the Punch did was minimal, the frequency it was set to should be close to what we need, and hopefully, the average will correlate with that so we can get it as close to possible to his frequency. Gideon, pull up my logs on speedsters."

"Yes, Professor Thawne."

The very first log to pull up, of course, was the Flash's.

_Barry Allen/The Flash (Entries: 15,439)_

Barry snorted. "That's a lot of information."

Eobard knew that some of those entries could be considered pointless and non-informative, whether they were nostalgic reflections or angry rants, but he liked to think that one could argue their sentimental and motivational value. "You shouldn't be surprised, considering that you've been the object of my obsession for such a long time. I wanted to know everything about you."

"Oh, I'm not surprised. I know you're a stalker. It's just weird seeing it all there, like this, is all."

As the various logs shuffled onto the holoscreen, Barry's face changed, becoming...odd and stony. Eobard followed his gaze, and saw that it was aimed at one of the files labeled _Wally West/Kid Flash/The Flash (Entries: 148)._ Then, they swept over the others, reading each name and entry-count, and Eobard saw the growing shadow behind the Flash's expression as he took in those he evidently recognized. To his surprise, the Flash's eyes lingered on one file he didn't expect them to. 

_T_ _he Phantoms (Entries: 5)._

It made sense, he supposed. The Phantoms worked in Central until about fifty years ago, he recalled, when the last alien invasion had occurred. All of his evidence suggested the Flash had been close with these two speedsters before they went missing - probably killed in the extraterrestrial war. Still, he'd never been able to gain enough info to determine their actual identities, even when he'd traveled to the past and encountered them on a single occasion... Eobard decided he'd have to ask Barry who these two had been, with as much tact as possible, of course. Little was known about them, and that was a disappointment to his pride in his accumulated knowledge of speedsters in general. He would like to change that.

But for now, he had bigger things to worry about.

"If you would prefer it," Eobard said, realizing that bringing these files up right now might have been a bad idea, "I will calculate the frequency myself."

"No," Barry replied tightly. "It's fine. I can help."

He shrugged apologetically. "Gideon, pull up an entire list consisting of each speedster's frequency only. And...hide all names - they are irrelevant."

"Yes, Professor."

The names faded, leaving only floating entry-counts.

Barry said nothing. Instead, he turned away and sat down in one of the chairs.

Eobard knew that his Barry may not have become cold-hearted like the original one, but that didn't mean the man hadn't suffered in his long life. And every part of Eobard wanted to rip that pain from him, but he knew such a thought was unrealistic and senseless.

He needed to get his head together, he thought, especially when he had work to do.

* * *

Eobard sat on the bed, cross-legged, holding the holoblock up and reading a book. He was taking a break from working on the Punch, and he'd thought reading would be a good distraction - but it wasn't. He couldn't focus. He tried to, but his mind kept jumping to the gun that Barry had taken over tinkering on. He knew that they could modify and upgrade it until the day the beast came for them, but could they _really_ know it would work next time? And to hope and be wrong, was to invite more pain than necessary. Sure, it made sense to modify the weapon to a calculated frequency...but even so, there was a real possibility the range wouldn't extend enough to make up the difference to whatever frequency the beast _actually_ was. Was the Time Demon truly human? It was the best bet. But if it was, then why did being around it make it feel so...inhuman? How could they-

_Stop,_ he told himself. _Stop thinking about it._

But he couldn't.

He thought of all the days that had passed that he'd wasted hating the Flash. And now, he only had four left with him. Less even - practically three, if the Time Demon came in the early morning hours of the nexus, and it likely would because fate had rarely ever been kind to Eobard Thawne. _What if I had found a way to make peace sooner?_

He closed the holoblock and pocketed it. He let out a sigh, his mind unwilling to concentrate in a rational way. He'd thought he had regained control of himself, but it was obvious he hadn't.

The room was suffocating, stifling, and his hands shook now in idleness. To say he felt on edge was to say a forest fire was a candle flame - a grossly inaccurate evaluation. He remembered the night he’d killed Larris, the night he’d murdered four strangers that didn’t even know what had hit them or why. He remembered the way it'd been so easy to sink his fists into their bodies, to rip their life away in literal nanoseconds. He thought of that night with sudden fondness - the night he’d fought the Flash in the storm with so much hate...only for them to end up kissing so passionately.

He now longed for that kind of emotional release, for that kind of pure and brutal honesty.

_It could be, again. It would be so easy to snap a neck right now, Eobard._

He blinked and shoved those thoughts away, a surge of negativity filling him with realization of what he wanted to do - but no, he couldn’t. He couldn’t kill again.

Without understanding why, he knew he _needed_ to see his Barry - the man he’d made the promise to, to feel him, whole and solid and _his_.

He left the room, passing through the laboratories until he reached the workroom where Barry was bent over the weapon.

He paced up behind the other, wrapping his arms around Barry's waist. He relaxed from the warmth of their bodies pressed together with Barry’s scent in his nose. He inhaled, taking advantage of the calming effect it seemed be having on him. This Barry may be a hopeless romantic with a penchant for being annoying, but Eobard knew that this Flash would never betray him. And that was all that mattered.

"How's it going?" The Reverse murmured.

"You know, twenty minutes isn't nearly enough time to accomplish anything,” came the light-hearted reply. "Especially since I'm forgoing superspeed."

Eobard was struck with a sensation that was almost like jealousy that the Flash could still be so light-hearted in the face of what was to come.

"Neither is four days," Eobard retorted, struggling not to tense with agitation. "Well, three and half, now."

Barry shifted, as if he noticed. "What happened to your idea?"

"It's only a guess.... There's no _guarantee_ it'll work."

Barry's shoulders slumped. "You know, your doom and gloom is really threatening to rub off."

"Maybe that'd be a good thing. It might force you to actually be realistic about this."

"How is 'being realistic' good? As far as I can tell, you think we should just lie down and take it."

"You know that's not what I meant." Eobard rested his chin on the other's shoulder. "What I meant, is that we shouldn't get our hopes too high. Disappointment is an old friend for both of us, I think, and there's no need to invite it back into our lives."

Barry shook his head. "All we need to do is get the right adjustments this time."

"We have no idea what they truly are."

Barry sat the tools he’d been holding down, twisting in Eobard's grasp to face him. "Alright, what's really your deal?" He asked, exasperated. "You're arguing _everything_ I'm trying to say to help."

"I...just... I don’t..." He exhaled.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Tell me. Please." From the look in Barry's eyes, Eobard knew he wasn't going to let up until he knew the truth. 

He took a deep breath. "Fine... I’m...scared," he forced out, hating the words with a passion the instant they left his lips. There they were, out there for Barry to know - for Barry to know his pathetic weakness.

Barry froze. "Eobard."

The Reverse continued, "I don't...I don't want to die, and I don't want you to die, either. I...am scared because in all my life, I've never felt so certain that it was going to end...and now, I have something that's just as - if not more - important that I fear losing..." _And I’m so angry. So angry to feel so helpless, to feel uncontrolled, to feel this fear. I want to hurt someone._

"...Eobard."

"I don't..." He took another deep breath, throat tightening. He felt the emotions burning inside, like an inferno. He realized his hands had clenched handfuls of Barry’s gray tunic. "I don't want to lose...what _we_ have." _I fought so hard for this._

"I don't either," Barry said. "And I'm just as scared as you are right now...but Eobard, fear isn't exactly new for either of us... It doesn't control us. You don't have to treat it as a weakness... And I believe that we are not done. I know it'll be hard, but it's not the first time we've done the impossible. I mean, look at us _here_ and _now_."

"A paradox," Eobard murmured, staring into Barry's eyes. "Something that shouldn't exist because of the impossibility of it."

"Yes... Eo, I've lived this long because I believed I could defeat my foes...no matter how scary they were. I never gave up..." Barry grabbed his arms, pressing his forehead to Eobard's. "So don't you dare say that this is the end for us. I will not tolerate this whole 'we're going to die' nonsense, because damn it, we _aren't_...not if I have any say in it." He smiled. "Besides, didn't _you_ say that until you died, you were going to keep living like you would keep breathing?"

"That Eobard Thawne...he feels like a different person now," Eobard replied, and he found himself reaching up, tracing Barry's face with feather-light touches, memorizing the feel of it once again. The man's eyes closed, and the moment was so intimate that Eobard leaned forward and kissed him because there was nothing else he could possibly do. In a wonderful instant, all of the emotions inside morphed into a desire, a desire to have Barry against him, in more ways than one. He deepened the kiss in desperation, tightening his hold, and Barry made a delicious noise on his mouth. He wondered if having Barry moaning his name in ecstasy and need would make him feel in control again.

It was a ridiculous thought, he knew. One born in a desperate rush of endorphins.

The human mind and body was very strange, indeed.

Barry broke the kiss first, much to Eobard’s disappointment. He wanted to pull the man back into it, but again, that was also ridiculous. _I could kiss you forever, Barry._

_Get ahold of yourself, Eobard,_ he told himself. He relinquished his iron grip, and because he was raised to be a perfect gentleman, he smoothed Barry's rumpled clothing for him.

"Help me with this gun," Barry said after a moment, his cheeks flushed, breathing slightly out of normal tempo. "Then, we're going to live like we'll never die."

_If only I could share that optimism. If only I could see this ending in an agreeable way._


	40. In Somnis Veritas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eh, there's going to be an epilogue, so I'm adding an extra chapter. Now, we have 46 chapters. :) Hope this pleases ya'll not wanting the story to end sooner, haha.

Barry stood by the bed, his back to Eobard, holding up the suit dangling from a hanger to himself. He appraised it. "I think it'll be good enough," he muttered.

"It's perfect," Eobard stated behind him. Barry jumped a little, apparently having not heard him come into the room. He turned his head to look at his Reverse who continued with - "it brings out your eyes. Not as much as the Flash suit does, of course, but you'll look great in it."

"I thought I should print something new, considering tomorrow is your sister's party."

Eobard had to smile at the thought. Earlier, they'd been informed that Eisla was returning home and holding a party for the occasion. It had been good news, the kind that had raised Eobard's spirits when he'd heard it.

Barry tossed the suit onto the dresser without much care. He shrugged, looking a little sheepish. "Just trying to focus on something normal, that's all."

"You should." Eobard cleared his throat and spoke, "Actually, I was...wanting to apologize, for the way I acted earlier... It was...unbecoming of me. I need to quit seeing this all ending terribly. I'm just...not used to happy endings."

"Well, you'll have to get used to it." Barry turned fully to Eobard, eyes focused on him in that way that made Eobard feel like he was the only human being on Earth. Warmth filled him, and his knees grew ever-so-slightly weaker. "It's fine. I understand why. No reason to dwell on it."

Eobard took in the marvelous sight that was this man, who had brought him to this moment. It was a grand feeling - one hard to express. "It's easy to take things like this for granted," he commented. "It's even easier to forget how to show that I am trying my damnedest not to." He stepped up to Barry, putting a hand on either side of his face. As usual, Barry seemed to lean into his touch, as if he craved contact from his Reverse. "I'm done being scared. I want to feel in control of this situation."

"That's why we upgraded the gun," Barry murmured. "It's done. It'll work... And now, I think it's time we get back on track with life...not wasting it - fretting over death."

"How right you are..."

Eobard's hands traveled down his neck, resting on his shoulders. He leaned in, and their lips attached. His left hand slid over Barry's shoulder, to his back, while his right moved down his torso, slipping under his arm. He locked onto him. His breathing picked up, and his heart beat faster from the electricity between them. Barry pressed back into him, his face against his neck. Eobard stayed still, the closeness addicting and overwhelming, like a drug. He breathed in Barry's scent, absorbing his warmth.

He pulled back and looked into the other's gaze. There may as well have been galaxies in the depths of the man's eyes for how entranced and enthralled Eobard was with them - for how long he studied them with fondness. He murmured, "tell me it'll work... The gun..."

"Of course it will."

There was no doubt in the other’s reply.

"You're incredible, wonderful. Do you know that?"

Their lips brushed again.

"How do you do that?" Barry whispered, his voice tinged with wonder.

"Do what?"

"How does that kind of thing just roll off your tongue?" he asked, then elaborated, "Sometimes, the things you say, the things you _do_...they make me feel so special, like I'm the only person that matters to you. It just...doesn't seem possible."

"You mean it doesn't seem possible for the Reverse Flash to make you feel so wanted?"

Barry nodded, biting his lip. "I mean...I know you're good, under everything you've done, but you- I guess I just imagined it'd be a lot longer before you said things that just make me feel so good."

"Whatever I may be, Barry Allen, I am a perfect gentleman. Until now, you have only known my hatred."

"It's good to know this side of you," Barry murmured. "But you and I both know that there's more here between us than just good manners."

"We've always been drawn together." Eobard kissed him before the Flash could try and get him to say 'I love you' again.

They pressed in again, moving this time, and it grew harder to focus. Desire and need filled the Reverse. His hands explored, feeling the taut muscles of the Flash's body. Barry was against him in every way, and it was glorious. "We...won't...lose," Eobard gasped against his lips.

"No," Barry agreed, "we...won't." He locked gazes with him, eyes determined. "Now promise me something."

"Yes?" Eobard worried that he was about to ask-

"Live like you'll never die," the Flash interrupted his thoughts.

He nodded, understanding that Barry didn't want him to fret so much over what was to come. "Yes. We both will. However we want..."

"However we want...” the Flash echoed, arms wrapping around Eobard's waist.

The next moments were a blur - a blur in which clothes were lost and lust-driven madness seemed to take ahold of them. Eobard was all over Barry, drunk on his Speed Force, drunk on _him_ , on the very idea of them together like this. The air around them seemed alive with electricity, shifting and shimmering in red and gold; nothing else existed or even remotely mattered in that instance. The thrill that held him was indescribable, and he couldn't get enough of it.

It was only when Barry tried to suck him off did he regain a moment of self-awareness.

It took all of his willpower not to start thrusting in response. Of course, he thought about it, about pushing into the other's throat and listening to him choke. He reached a hand forward. Locking his fingers into dark hair, he pulled Barry off of him instead.

“What’s wrong?” Barry asked, blinking up at him with confusion as he too returned to the moment. His face fell. “I'm not very good at this, am I?”

“What? No. You're perfect, Barr,” Eobard purred with dizzy happiness, “but I wanted to fuck _you_ this time. Not your mouth.”

He saw Barry redden.

"Captivating," he observed. He pressed over Barry, who dropped back onto the bed under him. "Mesmerizing."

They were gloriously bare, intertwined with each other.

"Enthralling."

"Eo...you're incredibly hot and handsome when you say stuff like that... And I know, no matter what, you’ll always run after me, and bring me back to you..."

Eobard lunged into another kiss, devouring the Flash's perfect lips. His hands moved and gripped the other's hips. He positioned himself between them.

Barry gave a surprised moan on his mouth. He ended the kiss, gasping out, "wait-"

Eobard didn't wait. He shoved inside of the Flash, pressing all the way in despite the resistance of the unprepared entrance. The other cried out. The Reverse shivered at the sound of it, enjoying it in every way.

“Shit!” Barry gasped. “That hurts.” He writhed beneath his reverse.

“But you enjoy it, correct?” Eobard murmured, teasing his lips with light kisses before straightening his torso. He shifted inside the other.

“Oh, damn it… _Fuck_ _you_.”

“It would seem that I'm fucking you, though.”

“You-” Barry's response was lost once again in a groan when Eobard rolled his hips, pleasure rushing through his veins like a wildfire. Electricity flared across their skin. Barry pushed up off the bed, twisting onto him and locking his arms around Eobard so they were both vertical now, his chin on the Reverse's shoulder, legs straddling his waist, groaning with the movement. “Oh, _damn,_ ” he panted, sweat gathering on his skin.

“If you want me to stop, I will,” Eobard said, uncertain if he was being too rough or not. "Just say so."

He received no response.

Eobard slowed, hoping he hadn't gone too far. “Barry? Is it too much?”

“No,” Barry grunted, his eyes dark and hungry when their gazes twisted to each other. “Don't stop.”

_Of course. Why did I ever doubt? Sometimes, I forget that the Flash and I aren't so different in all of our coarse baseness._

Eobard moved until he was using the Speed Force, listening to the other's gasps and moans in his ears, so loud and delicious. Barry pressed their bodies tightly together again, skin rubbing skin, and Eobard felt him nuzzle against the back of his neck, strong hands gripping at his shoulders. Eobard’s own fingers dug harshly against the man’s thighs, and he knew it was likely an uncomfortable touch, but he couldn’t make himself remove it.

He pushed into the other as far as he could and vibrated.

“ _Daaamn_ ,” the Flash moaned deeply, curling tighter to Eobard.

Eobard adored how noisy he could be; his voice was just so enticing and perfect. Barry rocked his hips, and Eobard let him have control of his pleasure. The Flash tensed further, moving harder, fingers twisting into Eobard’s hair, tugging at it. Eobard winced at the sharp feeling. He finally released his hold on the other’s hips and vibrated his hands. He ran his fingertips up Barry’s spine, then back down, causing the man to tremble under his touch. He traced his hip bones to the front, then...

He massaged Barry’s length.

Barry threw his head back with rapture. He gasped the Reverse's name to it. " _Eobard..."_

Eobard was with the Flash in an instant, and they immersed themselves in a combined climax.

He had never felt more intimate with the Flash than in moments like this.

He held Barry in his embrace until the pleasure faded and he regained his thoughts. He slid out, grabbing a towel from the night desk. He wiped up the mess, then pressed it under Barry.

The Flash whispered, "you're unbelievable,” as he settled back onto the sheets. Eobard lay on the bed with him.

He kissed him. "I know," he whispered, looking down into his eyes. Damn, would he never tire of staring into them? He was certain he wouldn't.

"I mean...you knew I wasn't ready for you," Barry continued, narrowing his eyes.

"Come on, Barry, you enjoyed it," Eobard replied, grinning. "I didn’t force you at any time during that. You could have pulled away if you really didn’t like it. In fact, I offered to stop, and you said no… It was a little rougher, but so what? We enjoy it rough, don't we?"

"Yeah...I suppose we do. You know, I can't be mad right now about it. I feel so good."

"See what I mean?" Eobard asked with a chuckle. "Hmm...You know what I'm thinking, Allen?"

"What?"

"I think we should invest in some toys."

"Seriously? Why did I ask?"

"I am serious," Eobard returned, sliding an arm over the other's chest. "I really think it would enhance the experience. Some cuffs...a collar...ropes - or chains... _rings_...vibrators-"

"Wow." Barry let out a small laugh that seemed to carry some disbelief in it. "I think it may be a bit early for that."

Eobard chuckled again. "There's always safe words."

"Like I said - too early for that. Eventually though...I'd probably be open to it."

Eobard nodded with a smile.

There were a few seconds of silence, then Barry asked, "so, I'm curious..." he paused, sudden uncertainty passing over his face.

"What?" Eobard prompted, raising his brows.

"Well, seeing that you know so much about me, and I don't know much about you, and I want to know more... Could I...ask something?" Barry shrugged.

"What is it?" Eobard replied, uncertain. "You've never hesitated about asking me something before."

"Well... I was just curious about your sexuality," he blurted. "Have you always preferred men, or am I the only one you are attracted to?"

Eobard mulled the question over. "I've been with both genders, but I do find that I have a predilection to choose male bed partners to female ones. Though an argument could be made that my vast obsession and admiration for you from a young age influenced my sexual preferences when I grew old enough to be interested in that kind of activity... Does that answer your question?"

Barry nodded with a slightly-embarrassed smile. "Yeah... Sorry," he mumbled. "I know that was personal-"

"Don't be sorry," Eobard returned. "Believe it or not, your interest in me strokes my ego. I wasn't bothered by your inquiry. In fact, I enjoyed it."

"Well, if that's so, then..." Barry inhaled, "what were you like, before you became a speedster?"

Eobard furrowed his brow in further thought. He pulled his memory to that time, so long ago. It felt like a millennia had passed since those days. "I was..." he hesitated, searching for a word, "innocent, I suppose you could say. I was...unburdened beyond the normal stress of a job and my so-called family duties. When I was younger, I could have been considered a nerd, such was my obsession with superheroes and science and such... I was a romantic, too. God, am I glad to have outgrown that."

Barry rolled his eyes. "Being romantic isn't so bad, you know."

"For you, maybe. You weren't burned like I was."

Barry sighed. "You mean by that other  _me_."

"Well, yeah, but not just by him."

"What do you mean? You loved someone else before that?"

"You weren't my first serious relationship, Flash. I mean, I'd always loved you in that other timeline, but I never put much stock in it until after...we got together intimately. Before I became a speedster, I'd figured I'd settle and marry someone normal. And I almost did. I fell in love with a man named Taelor Patel. He's the director of Central City's Historic Symphonic Orchestra."

Barry looked surprise. "Really? I wasn't expecting that... What changed, then?"

"Just when our relationship started to get serious, to a point that I considered proposing, I was kidnapped and held for ransom by some thugs... I was brutalized by my captors...and that was when you rescued me... After that, I couldn't just go back to being some unimportant rich boy... Some part of me realized my dreams weren't so unrealistic. Some part of me realized I couldn't just be normal...and I decided I would never be helpless again. I would become a speedster. I would become a hero.... I started working on getting speed, and I...drove Taelor away in the following weeks with my obsession to be like you... One could argue that I left him, even, but... I couldn't help myself... That was who I apologized too, the other night...at the theater."

"I'm sorry."

"You are?" Eobard's brows furrowed. "Why?"

The Flash shifted, dragging a blanket to them, then. Eobard let him cover them before Barry continued. "It's just...I know how hard it can be when you're with someone, and even though you know it's something good, you still realize they're just not...the person of your dreams."

"That's... I wasn't expecting that you would empathize with me on that, but I shouldn't be surprised... It was just unfortunate for the younger me that 'the person of my dreams' wasn't so dreamy, after all...and that I had a killer gene waiting to be awakened by dark matter."

"What? A _killer_ gene? What are you talking about?"

Eobard sighed, realizing he hadn't told Barry of his conversation at the hospital with his family. He shifted closer and spent the next few minutes telling Barry what his father had said about his genetics and ARGUS.

"Jeeze...that's crazy ...Of _course_ ARGUS did that, but I still can't believe you're family was affected by it... I don't know what to say about it...but it's actually kind of a good thing, in a way."

"It is?" Eobard asked, once more caught off-guard. "It caused me to _kill_ people, Barry - I thought you hated killing."

"I mean, yeah, I know that...but it also proves my point. What I'm saying, is that it proves that you aren't an _actual_ psychopath, like I've known for some time now... You just have this super-soldier gene. You _are_ physically capable of love. You said it yourself, your father and his before him weren't stripped of emotions. After all, they had to love their country, right?"

Eobard rubbed his eyes. "Well, of course _that's_ your main takeaway from this..." He blinked and refocused on the warm gaze fixed on him

Barry smiled, placing a hand on Eobard's back and massaging with his fingers. "I'm looking forward to saying I told you so when you realize you love me, too."

Eobard exhaled. "Can I ask _you_ a question, now, Mr. Romantic?"

"Sure, but I'm surprised there's something you don't already know about me."

"Who are the Phantoms?"

Barry's face changed in an instant, becoming hurt. He stiffened, his hand halting its soothing rhythm.

Eobard was hit with a wave of sorrow emanating from the Flash. He regretted asking in an instant. "Nevermind, I just thou-"

"No, no," Barry replied, blinking his eyes. "The Phantoms...they were my children. The twins."

"You're..." Eobard stared. "Oh... _oh_..." How had he missed that, anyway? It was incredibly obvious, now that he thought about it. Then again, it wasn't like he'd known for sure that the speedster gene could be inherited.

Barry nodded, his expression twisted in grief. "They died, fighting for this city." He swallowed. "It was...decades ago, during the invasion...but...it never stops feeling so unfair. It should have been me, but I had shattered my entire femur in my right leg in the fighting, and...someone had to...had to run into the portal with the weapon... There wasn't enough time... They always fought together - so close was their bond...and so that time, they ran through, side by side...and never came back..." There were tears on his face.

Eobard brushed them away with a gentle movement. "I'm sorry," he whispered, once again hating this pain he saw. "I shouldn't have mentioned it."

"It's okay," Barry replied, inhaling. "You deserved to know." He pressed into Eobard, seeming to be seeking comfort. Eobard embraced him. "I guess they're with the Speed Force now...and I hope they're happy."

_Speed Force afterlife?_ Eobard wondered. That was a strange thought, indeed. He didn't question it, though. If it helped Barry cope with their loss, who was he to interfere with such a harmless belief?

"I have a confession," he whispered, uncomfortable and wanting to change the subject.

"Yeah?"

"I kissed you once, while you were unconscious. It was after Darkstar poisoned you."

Barry laughed at his admission, and the sight and sound of it instantly made Eobard feel better about having mentioned the Phantoms. "I already knew," the Flash said.

"You did?"

"Yeah, Gideon told me."

"W-what? I told her not to."

"I hacked her, you know."

Now it was Eobard's turn to laugh. "We should really discuss jointly owning her."

"Then she'll never get anything done, as much as we disagree."

"We'd better learn to start agreeing, then," Eobard murmured. "You really aren't bothered I kissed you while you were unconscious?"

"Eo, _seriously,_ after you stalked me for _fifteen years_ , how would _that_ bother me?"

"Point taken."

They fell into silence, and Eobard enjoyed their closeness. He contemplated them, together, like this - just how miraculous it truly was - until his eyes grew heavy. He was aware of Barry's gentle breathing next to him. Relaxed, he listened to the steady rhythm of it until his mind went blank, and he drifted into the soft embrace of sleep.

* * *

The sun glittered on the emerald waters of the river as the water flowed along its predetermined path. Trees stood along the banks like sentinels, their leaves dancing and shivering in the light breeze. The air was scented with mud and grass, and the warmth of it was comforting. It was serene, magical even. The sounds of birds and insects predominated the afternoon, and Eobard was aware that he was lying beneath a canopy of leaves. He gazed up at the dappled sunlight, feeling strangely like this place was familiar. He inhaled, peaceful.

Eobard turned his gaze to see Barry lying at his side on a blanket they shared, his alluring eyes focused on nothing but the Reverse.

He smiled his perfect smile. "I love you, Eo."

Eobard felt more warmth than he ever had before bloom in his chest. He felt like his heart would overflow with the feeling, and he knew then, knew that he had to say it back, though he did not know why. "I lo-"

He heard and felt the rush of sudden Speed Force. The world spun, and he hit the grass, wincing. There was something wet on his face, and he smelt iron. Raising himself a little, he touched the drops on his cheek. When he pulled his hand away, it was red with blood. With gathering horror, he looked up to see the The Time Demon standing a few feet away, near the river. In its grasp, was Barry.

Blood dripped down his chest.

"No," Eobard murmured. He took in the limp form. Barry looked...lifeless...and there was _so_ much blood, everywhere. It was all over the Reverse, the Time Demon's shadowy figure, even the grass and blanket, painting the once enchanting scene in morbid crimson. All the birds and bugs had gone silent, and the breeze had stopped. Everything was as still as a tombstone in an empty graveyard. In spite of the stifling heat, Eobard was frozen cold. He knew. He knew that Barry was gone...was dead. "No! How could you do this?" He snarled. He pushed up and rushed forward as the Flash hit the mud.

He dropped to his knees next to the man. "Barry...wake up...please..." Tears flooded his eyes, blurring the world. His chest ached, filled with waves of agony. "Why!?" Eobard yelled. "What was the point of this!?"

_"This...this was necessary, to end the war,"_ the Time Demon said. It raised a vibrating hand. _"And now, you too, must die."_

Eobard couldn't bring himself to resist, knowing he'd already lost. He felt the agony ring through every part of his body. The hand was burrowed in his own chest, and he was lifted into the air, staring down into golden, cruel eyes.

_"It is done."_

Eobard slumped backward as the hand withdrew, dropping beside the Flash.

The Time Demon roared in a distorted way. It faded, it's form turning to dust and blowing away on the wind that now resumed with a fury, whipping the trees back and forth. Dark clouds rolled overhead, and it grew cold. Rain began fall from the dim sky, and the grass wilted under the stinging drops. Eobard saw it all as blackness seeped across his vision. He saw Barry, eyes blank that had moments ago been so full of love and life. It was hard to acknowledge the blood and grime all over him now, his hair plastered to his scalp, skin paler than a full moon. Through his soaked clothes, his form was bony, even. It was sickening.

_Barry…_

He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He couldn't speak, couldn't scream the way he wanted to.

_No..._

* * *

"No!"

Eobard struggled against the suffocating feeling of blankets coiled around him like his life depended on him reaching a sitting position. Once there, he blinked and looked at the clock, feeling sweat on his brow.

_5:17 AM._

"Hey, hey," Barry said next to him, his voice heavy with lingering sleep. There were hands on Eobard's shoulder and back in an instant, warm, comforting. "It's just a dream."

" _In somnis veritas,"_ Eobard muttered, rubbing his eyes as if to scrub the images from the back of his eyelids. He inhaled, shuddering at the memory. "A prophecy, more like." With a glance over, he caught the look on the other's face in the dim room. "Fine...a _dream_ ," he amended. "A nightmare..." Still, however illogical it was, he felt pure relief to see his Barry, alive and well.

"I know," he murmured. "What was it about?"

"I'd prefer not recall it." Eobard didn't want to think a moment longer on the dark and gruesome image than he had to.

“It could help," Barry insisted, looking concerned.

The Reverse Flash pushed out of bed, searching the floor for his pants. He found them a few paces from the bed. He yanked them on and turned to the Flash who had collapsed back onto the pillows. "I don't suppose it takes much imagination to guess what it was about." Eobard ran a hand through his hair. "I don't have nightmares...this is ridiculous."

The Flash smiled. Eobard felt a surge of warmth at the expression, and the feeling chased away the lingering chills remaining from his dream. The other man murmured, "maybe you should lay back down for awhile... You sound like you didn’t get enough sleep, Cranky..."

Eobard, in spite of himself, found he couldn't summon enough annoyance to retort. "I'm fine. I don’t think I could go back to sleep, anyway." Not with _that_ image threatening to replay in his dreams again. He crossed over to the bed, holding his gaze and placing a hand on Barry's shoulder. He gave it a light squeeze, appreciating that the other speedster was whole and his skin held a living heat to it. He drew strength from this real moment in life versus that false one in his head. "However, _you_ can... I'm going for some early coffee."

"I'll be there soon," Barry replied, shifting in the blanket. "Try not to break too many things."

"Oh, _I'm_ the clumsy one?" Eobard asked. "Question - between the two of us, who has had the most accidents?"

"I wasn't counting," Barry replied. "But it's obviously you."

"Yeah, whatever," Eobard responded. "I'm not the one who got thrashed by a bull." He turned, heading for the door. "Get up soon, then."

"Of course."

The Reverse paused and glanced back. "I mean it. I'll come for you."

"Would that be so bad?"

"Maybe. Depends on what mood I'm in when I do."

They shared another smile before he disappeared out the door. It was several steps later when Eobard realized he'd forgotten his shirt. But he also knew something else. He felt better after his and Barry's rather silly conversation. He felt...comforted. Shaking his head with some amazement, he turned back and re-entered the room.

"That wasn't much time," the Flash murmured teasingly, turning in the bed.

"I know," Eobard replied, and even though he'd come back for his shirt, his next words spilled from his mouth before he could stop them, "I realized I hadn't kissed you yet, though."

Barry chuckled. "You're actually really sweet, Eo."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

"I was lying. I actually came back for my shirt."

"Doesn't matter. You're still going to kiss me."

And he did. Their lips connected in that electrical way that Eobard loved.

Barry murmured, "wait for me before you take a shower."

Eobard grinned and stared into his eyes. "I definitely will."

This time, when he left the room, he didn't turn back. His mind drifted back to the nightmare, and he hoped that it was just his subconscious fear playing tricks on him. It was the most likely reason, and yet, there was a part of him that couldn't help but wonder if there wasn't some kind of warning hidden in it.

He also couldn't help but wonder if Barry wasn't worried because of his belief in an afterlife.

He shook his head. No, The Punch would not fail, and that was why Barry was confident. There was no reason for it not to work, and they would destroy the Time Demon with it.

_We will._ _We have to._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eobard says _in somnis veritas_ this chapter. It translates to - "in sleep, truth." 
> 
> Apologies for any typos. I'm pretty tired right now. (surprise, right?)


	41. What Defines You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is now three days until the nexus, the day the Time Demon returns....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I drew fanart with a pencil this time (NOT digital art). Like before, it'll be at the bottom of the chapter. ;)

The Flash laughed with pure glee.

The euphonious sound drifted back to the Reverse on eddying currents of air. Eobard raced after it as if pulled into an invisible, inescapable slipstream. Not that he'd ever willingly escape it. The cold wind whipped over him, but he felt warmth. The Speed Force crackled in his veins and over his body, energizing and refreshing, radiating empowerment and freedom. The world painted itself a still life, seeming to have halted just for them, the fall trees around them in various stages of yellow, orange, and red. Leaves gusted up from the ground in the wake of the Scarlet Speedster, and his golden lightning crackled with benevolence, as if to say - _I will always be there, in your reach._

Eobard smiled. He could almost forget the weight that had been hanging in his chest all day. He knew he didn't want to stop running. It was still odd, if he were being honest, to be running after the Flash for the simple joy of it. It'd been such a long time since he'd done that, and he'd forgotten how intimate it was to share their Speed Force like this, without hate and anger.

Not that fighting the Flash wasn't a euphoric experience in its own way.

_The blur ahead was too fast to track, too powerful to overtake. A strike jolted Eobard to his core, and he smashed into the rough bark of an old, gnarled tree._

Unbidden, Eobard’s thoughts transformed into memories he'd buried long ago - the ones he’d made an effort to forget.

_Eobard launched his fist forward, and the Flash caught it, wrenching his arm to the side. It hurt. He gasped, but there was no time to focus on the pain. He retaliated with a kick, but the older speedster twisted away, sending him off balance. In response Eobard dragged his other foot forward, just managing to catch the hero's calf and knock him off balance._   _Both of them tumbled to the grass._

_Eobard fought for breath as he stared down at the Flash. “I...got...you...” He panted, smug with triumph._

_“I guess the training is paying off after all.” Flash’s lips twitched with the hint of a rare smile. Eobard grew weaker for having noticed it. “You’ve come a long way in just a week. I guess it’s time to take it up a notch._ _I’ve been going easy on you. Next time, I'll make it a bit more difficult.”_

_Eobard found himself gazing into the man's eyes, marveling at the tiny arcs of lightning that flickered through his irises - so beautiful. Did his own eyes hold such power? Or would that come with time?_

_He realized he lay atop the hero._

_He scrambled backward. He leapt to his feet and pivoted away, heart pounding. He was afraid if he kept staring, the Flash would realize-_

_“Fanboy? Is something wrong-”_

_“No, of course not,” Eobard said too fast, cringing at how forced the cheerfulness in his tone seemed to be. He felt his face burn, and he studied a small scuff on his suit's gauntlet with utmost interest. “Why would it be?”_

_“You’re...being unusually quiet.”_

_Eobard squared his shoulders, in complete control of his emotions now._ _“I’m learning how to listen," he replied and turned back, putting his arms behind his back with nonchalance._

_The Flash pulled back his cowl._

_Eobard swore his heart stopped, and there was no way his staring was unnoticed now. The hero was even more beautiful than he’d realized, like an angel without wings._ _Somehow, he seemed less intimidating without the mask._ _His skin was unmarred, and his eyes sparkled. Every centimeter of his face was perfectly proportioned. His lips seemed fuller, begging to be kissed. His hair was dark and so soft looking. He was ethereal._

_Otherworldly._

Eobard blinked the image away, trying to focus on the present. But a dark sensation curled inside of him, demanding to be felt in full. He couldn't let it go, try as he might. He remembered the months following that day, months that had been...chaotic, but perfect....until they'd come to a crashing inevitable, terrible halt.

_“You know, Eobard, you’re quite handsome.”_

_God. Eobard tried not to give a noticeable, physical reaction to those words as he struggled to process what he’d just heard. “You’re...you’re trying to flirt with me?”_

_Flash rolled his eyes. “We can add denseness to your list of things to work on. Of course I am.”_

_Eobard blinked, trying to think. His hero...wanted to...wanted to... He couldn't even form the sentence in his mind. "I'm...I’m dreaming,”  he stammered, shaking his head._

_The man's eyebrow quirked, a ghost of a smile playing at his lips. “Is it a good dream?”_

_“It’s," Eobard cast out for a word, a word that would sound reciprocative but not desperate. "...Interesting."  He wanted to cringe again. He sounded like such a moron right now._

_Flash sighed and sipped his drink.“You’re being vexingly non-specific, Thawne," he said, sitting his glass down. "Do you, or do you not, enjoy me flirting with you?"_

_Eobard cleared his throat, trying to work through the knots that all of his nerves had folded into without permission. His cheeks ached from the heat in them.“I...uh...t-talk to me some more...then I’ll give you a straightforward answer." He was buying time - buying time to come up with a suitable response. God, he couldn't even clear his head, not when those eyes looked at him like_ that. _How could he ever give a straightforward, decent answer that didn't sound utterly ridiculous and send the Flash away in disgust?_

_“Ah." Flash smiled. "I see. You like a talking to, eh? Good thing my stunning charms have gotten me this far.”_

_“Charms?" Eobard scoffed in spite of himself. "If you were anyone else, I would have left an hour ago.”_

_“Exactly. Charms.”_

_Eobard sighed. He was doomed, he knew._

He remembered the first time they’d kissed - a kiss that had been...electric and burning and too much and not enough all at once.

_"Too soon?" Flash breathed on his lips._

_Eobard pressed closer, high with emotions that burned in his veins, in his mind. "No...not soon enough."_

_"Good," the older speedster purred._

_Eobard eyed his perfect mouth. "Kiss me again." He felt the Flash's lips curve on his, and every ounce of him shook with anticipation, with wonder. "Please."_

_"Since you asked so nicely..."_

_Eobard was shoved against the wall, and he'd never before been kissed the way the Flash kissed him in that moment. No one had ever devoured his lips like that. No one had ever gripped him so possessively. No one had ever thrust their knee between his thighs to push them apart and grind against his groin. No one had ever given him so much pleasure without taking his clothes off first._

_He moaned, certain he would have collapsed if he wasn't currently pinned to the wall._

He remembered that was the first time they’d come together in intimacy - intimacy that could only be described as an awakening. Experiencing the Speed Force on such a level with his hero and mentor…

_Eobard thought he was going to lose his mind. Hot lips were on his neck, the smell of alcohol burning through his nose, the heaviness of his mind fogging every thought. He shuddered, thrusting down on the Flash's leg, feeling way too good for this to be real. Neon lights glittered above his head in the ceiling, casting everything in an electronic, dreamy haze._ _He flinched at a sharp pinch on his skin, but the sound that left his mouth was one of pleasure._

_Warm breath fanned across his neck. "Let me reward you for being so patient, Fanboy."_

_The God of Central City. His hero. His idol._

_Holy fuck._

_He groaned again, breathless at the thought of the way the other was all over him with his entire body, their shoulders and torsos glued together, strong hands on his back and hips, a warm face against his collarbone. He shuddered and jerked at every touch and hint of pressure._

_"Oh my god," he groaned._

_"Heh. Too much for you, Fanboy?" Flash rumbled with amusement._

_"No. Not enough..."_ _He didn't care about sounding desperate or pathetic now. He didn't care about anything but what position the Flash was in, and what that meant for his own pleasure. "Please, please, fuck me."_

_The Flash lowered his leg. Eobard gasped at the abrupt lack of pressure between his thighs. The hero grabbed his shoulders and pushed him around. Step over step, Eobard was guided back, until he was on the bed, the Flash pushing over him._

_"Did you ever doubt I would?" the god whispered in his ear. "You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into, do you?"_

Eobard jerked his thoughts from that, and they jumped forward, to that following morning and the warning he'd been given-

_“I’m willing to continue sexual activities with you, of course, but you have to promise that you_   _won't let it go to your head. You’re an adult, so I think you understand it when I say you can’t let yourself get attached... This isn’t about love...it’s about distraction. Some fun. I'll never want more than that. Ever."_

_“I understand."_

_"Good."_

Despite the warning, despite his promise, he’d fallen headfirst into the worst unrequited love in human history. Because after months, those words just hadn't seemed like they mattered anymore. They were just words, after all, spoken when things were simple enough and the future had felt like something to look forward to... Would the hero really cling to a vague promise made long before they had grown so close, done so much together? At least, that was how it'd been in Eobard's mind at the time. And it may have been okay, Eobard with his illusions and the Flash with his fun...if Eobard hadn't killed and revealed that he was a monster - not a hero - unworthy to be with the King of the Speed Force.

_"..._ _I warned you, Fanboy...and now I must let you go. It is better this way."_

The darkness coiled around his heart, and he felt the warmth inside of him evaporate. It was cold, so very cold, but he kept running and running.

No matter what he shared with his Barry, here and now in this timeline, there was something _wrong_ about what had happened to him, something cruel and unfair, something that still twisted his heart inside. And this - whatever it was - made his jaw clench, his vision burn blood-red, his fists curl, and his stride have just an extra touch of power in it when he ran after Barry Allen.

The Flash he hated was gone, the one that had left him to be consumed by his monsters...and he would never suffer for what he’d done, the way he deserved to. He would never feel betrayed as Eobard had. 

The Reverse frowned at himself. It was silly and pathetic to think like this _now_ of all times, with the Time Demon looming in the near future, and yet, he couldn’t help it. He hated knowing that he would never heal that wound in his heart. He hated knowing that while he’d technically won their war... His nemesis would never actually _know_ it. Eobard hadn't realized until it was too late how badly he'd wanted to look into that Flash's eyes as he destroyed the worship Central City gave him, one foul deed at a time...and especially when he ripped out his warm, beating, bloody heart. Or rather, the chunk of ice-coated rock that must've actually been there, instead.

_“Fanboy.”_

His fists clenched.

He smashed into something solid. The Flash and he sprawled into leaves on the ground. Eobard blinked, finding himself staring into the dirt, the scent of earth in his nose. He was confused for a moment, trying to determine what had happened. He realized then, that Barry must've halted in their run, and he hadn't even noticed. He sat up, rubbing his head. “Oops,” he said.

"Ouch." Barry laughed at the sky, lying on his back. “Wow, you weren’t paying attention, were you?”

“No, I wasn’t,” Eobard admitted. "I was too busy thinking, it seems." 

“What’s up?” Barry asked, also reaching a sitting position. “What were you thinking about? - Please don’t say the Time Demon.”

“I wasn’t, actually. I started thinking of the original timeline. Sometimes, I can’t believe how...different you are in this one.”

Barry pulled a twig out of his emblem and tossed it away. He brushed at some dirt on his elbow. “Experiences can change a person moreso than any DNA alteration.”

“Yeah, I’ve learned that. It’s just...sometimes it just seems so...funny, in a terrible way. I ran back in time to rid myself of him...and I did...and yet, now that he’s gone…” He sighed. “Now it feels like there will never be a chance to-” _hurt him the way he hurt me._ He glanced at his Barry, watching him, and changed his words, “...there will never be a chance to make him see what _he_ did.” He hoped his anger wasn't too evident in his voice.

“Maybe he couldn’t have, even if you wanted him to. And you probably couldn't change _that_... Regardless, there’s nothing to be done about it now.” Barry’s hand landed on his. “You’re here and now, in this timeline, with _me_. And I see everything he did to you, and I wish he hadn’t… Maybe that’s not enough right now...but it will be, one day.”

He turned his hand up and threaded their fingers together. Eobard felt the warmth return.

Barry smiled his world-stopping smile.

“One day,” Eobard said, and he almost believed it, infected as he was by the happiness on his Barry's face at something so simplistic as hand-holding.

"For now, don't think about him. Think about me."

At least that wasn't hard. Eobard could easily think of his Barry all day long, of everything he enjoyed about him. “What was it you said last night? Live like we’ll never die?”

“Yeah.”

“Is this what you meant?” Eobard asked, gesturing at the colorful forest around them. He inhaled the crisp, fresh, chilly air, and it was relaxing. “Doing whatever the hell we want and enjoying life?”

Barry nodded, eyes sparkling in the sunlight.

Eobard leaned closer, drawn in, listening to the chirps of birds and the rustle of a breeze in the branches overhead. “You know, the Romans used to say _carpe diem_. Seize the day.”

“You really love Latin.”

“My parents made me take it in high school and college,” Eobard replied, scooting closer to feel the heat of his body, to get lost in his eyes. “And...yes, I felt drawn to the language, in a strange way.”

Barry's lips curved again. “It’s good to take pleasure in simple things."

“If you take pleasure in it, Barry, it is not simple - whatever it may be. It defines you.”

“True,” Barry said, raising their combined hands into the air. “So... _carpe diem?_ ”

Eobard chuckled and kissed him. "You're perfect like this, Barry Allen."

Barry flushed, laughing. "And you're adorable when you do _that_."

"Alright, you asked for it." The Reverse dragged the Flash into his arms, yanked his cowl off, and pressed their lips together again. Barry gave a surprised noise but returned his kiss. Eobard now understood why he enjoyed kissing his Barry so much. Every time felt like a ray of sunlight chasing away the shadows in his heart, thawing the ice that lingered there, soothing old wounds that festered with dark emotions. Whenever Barry pulled back, he took the light of summertime with him, the frigid darkness of winter nights froze back over, and the faintest hint of an infection's agony returned. And Eobard had to have the healing warmth back, the promise that he could be more than a monster, that he could be...loved again - and deserve it, too.

And maybe, one day, he would love again, too.

Their foreheads pressed together, and Eobard could have said it, that he loved his Barry. It would have been easy in that moment flooded with endorphins...but when he considered it, it felt forced, like a lie - a lie that would be more dangerous than any truth.

And his Barry deserved more than that.

"I'll always be there for you," he whispered instead.

"And you empower me," responded his Barry. "I love you, Eo."

* * *

"Hi, Eobard!" Eisla called as soon as her eyes landed on him. She hurried over, and Eobard realized he hadn't seen her hair pulled into a tamed braid on her head in quite some time, or her wearing the sparkling dress of gold and silver she now did, glimmering in the ballroom lights in an almost ostentatious way. She truly looked like a Thawne, and it was a relief to see it. 

Eisla Thawne was back.

"Barry," she added with a welcoming smile when she reached them.

"Sister," Eobard said.

"Hey, Eisla," Barry greeted. "You look great."

"Thank you, Barry, for having manners that my brother _doesn't_. You look great, yourself." She clasped Eobard's arm. “It’s good _you_ showed! You deserve a medal, brother, for actually coming to a party without me calling you first.”

“It's a special occasion - your return. I wouldn’t miss that for the world, Eis.”

She sighed in a long-suffering manner but smiled all the same. She became abruptly serious. "It's good to see you two. It really is."

Eobard leaned forward and wrapped his arms around her. "It's great you're home."

"Oh, yes..." She returned the hug with tentative movements. "It's good...to be...home..." She pulled back and blinked. “Are you alright, Eo?” Her earrings trembled when she shook her head, expression confused. "You haven't hugged me in...what? _Y_ _ears_ _?_ "

“Of course everything's alright. I just...wanted to...show you...that I...” He struggled to find the words required to express the feeling he was experiencing in that moment. He wasn't even sure if _he_ knew what it was. Some combination of hope, nostalgia, and happiness, he figured. He glanced over and noticed the look of surprise on Barry's face, too. He smiled at him before turning back to his sister.

“I know, Eo,” she replied. “I understand. Just don't make me tear up. I spent an _hour_ on my eyeliner.” She grinned, playfulness replacing seriousness.

Eobard snorted. “Doubtful. Where’s Father?”

“He’s around. Mingling. I have to tell you, it was quite the sensation when people found out he was still alive.” Her smirk grew. "He’s been spreading this story of having been washed down river and found by some people who had no idea who he was. He can really make it sound exciting and believable, too.” She giggled and looked at Barry. “So, before you two run away and hide from the social gathering...I have to say it," her voice dropped, " _you’re the Flash_."

Barry raised his brows. “Yep."

"I just had to say it," Eisla reiterated. She looked around in a conspiratorial way. “I can’t believe I’m standing here, with Flash and...you know,” she gestured at Eobard, and breathed in a quiet whisper, “ _Reverse Flash_.”

Barry smiled that wonderful smile of his. “You’ll get used to it.”

"I wish Mom was here..." Eisla's smile morphed into one of pain. "I'm glad that you got to meet her before..." She blinked. "Damn it. Now _I'm_ going to ruin my eyeliner."

"I didn't know her well," Barry remarked, "but she seemed like a great person.”

"She was. I think she would have grown to love having a second son."

"Whoa, whoa," Eobard said, discomfort flooding him at thoughts of such a distant future that still didn't seem even remotely possible, "-let's not get ahead of ourselves here." He chuckled to hide his uncertainty. "At any rate, I can't imagine anyone not growing to like Barry."

"Yeah," Barry said, exchanging a glance with him. He looked impish quite suddenly. "I bet you can't."

Eobard lightly punched his shoulder. He looked at Eisla. "I still miss Mom, and it still hurts, but I really feel like the future is only going to get better." He felt his heart clenching, though, even as he said those words. But it was with guilt, not grief. He knew he should probably tell his sister about the Time Demon and that he could be dead in three days, but it was too hard to bring it up, especially when she was making such an effort to return to her normal life after everything that'd happened, and more importantly - to be happy again.

He cast his gaze around the room and spotted his father standing in front of two people, talking with them.

Their gazes met, and Emberson gave a brief nod. _Thank you,_ it seemed to say.

Eobard nodded back. _You’re welcome._

* * *

Eobard leaned against the drinks counter, eyes roaming the extravagant, grand room filled with strangers, looking at nothing in particular. Music played around him, and he smelled the delicate scent of champagne from his glass. He sipped at the bittersweet liquid in hand, letting his mind wander. He recalled the first time Barry had come to a family party, a few weeks ago. He recalled how frustrated and angry that had made him, especially when Barry suggested they dance. He could have laughed as he remembered his own complete befuddlement and loathing of such an idea.

He sipped his drink again, long and slow, savoring the simplicity of the action. Over the rim of his glass, his eyes scanned the room like a hawk's, but everyone before him may as well have been ghosts, pale and colorless when compared to the light beyond them. He eyes landed on Bartholomew Allen. He knew they always would. How could they not? It was so addicting being around the Flash, a drug, a chemical compound that reacted perfectly, two puzzle pieces that always went together. They were both speedsters, and that intimacy could not be defeated by any other. More than that, they were still reverses of each other - just in an entirely new way...

And that smile that was Barry's - the man was making a joke with his sister, and he saw that smile.

He inhaled. His heart skipped.

How could such a smile even exist?

Before he knew what he was doing, he was at the Flash's side in a matter of seconds. "Barry, want to dance?"

It seemed the days of his subconscious asking permission from his conscious before doing something were well and truly over. Not that he cared anymore.

He wasn't even sure where his glass of champagne had ended up.

Barry raised an eyebrow. "I thought you'd never ask."

Eisla rolled her eyes. “Painful, but cute,” she said good-naturedly. She turned and strode away.

Eobard chuckled, but it faded when the other speedster didn't. "Wait... That's just an expression right?"

"No, I really thought you wouldn't."

Eobard stared.

Barry's façade shattered, and he broke into a grin. "I'm kidding... Not that I didn't have my doubts, though."

"Such a vote of confidence, _Flash_ ," Eobard muttered under his breath, grabbing his hands. "I really thought you would think more positively of me by now." The Reverse led him away, to an area that was less crowded and suffocating. They stepped onto that space as if it were made for them, positioning themselves, listening to the music that washed over the room. Eobard let himself think _everything_ of it this time when he placed his hand on Barry's waist, the other on his shoulder.

Returning the stance, Barry murmured, "I think _many_ positive things about you, Eobard."

"And what would those things be, exactly?"

"Trust. Want.... Love.... Good things..."

Eobard accepted that he would always lose himself in those eyes, in the golden flickers of electricity and the infinity of complexities that existed there. Those eyes were shining diamonds, impossible majesty that stole breath. They pierced his soul and seduced him with ridiculous ease, because they belonged to a man that had influenced his life so deeply for so long.

Not that he hadn't reciprocated in turn.

"What about you?" Barry asked, blinking.

Eobard blinked back. He had a good idea what the Flash wanted him to say...but even now, he couldn't bring himself to. Instead, he replied, "I think good things of you, too..."

"Like?"

A prompt... Flash was giving him another opening to make up for his vagueness, to admit something he couldn't. "I take great pleasure in everything you are, Barry... You define me. Always."

With an unreadable expression, Barry started their dance with a single step. "And there you go again, making me feel so important."

Eobard chuckled, warmed.

He held onto Barry, the music drifting and dripping around them like rain. They twisted, moved and swayed, holding onto each other and discovering a rhythm in their movements they hadn't the last time they'd danced in this room. Here and now, it felt like they'd been dancing like this all of their lives, as if their connection was synchronized, physically and emotionally. They flowed together in their own space, their own time, their own reality, the entire world fading away. Only _they_ truly existed, Eobard couldn't help but think. Even the music vanished out of actuality.

The Flash began to sing.

It was soft. No one else could hear it, Eobard knew; his opposite only wanted him to listen.

He had never heard Barry sing before. Not even in their other timeline.

The voice was one straight from a fictional world where there were warm meadows and forests that stretched on in neverending sunlight; he could stay there forever. It was entrancing, full, more than simply pleasant on his ears. He closed his eyes, feeling the flow of melodious words, listening, falling into the complex maze of emotions between them, falling into the idea of a distance that he knew they could still travel, falling into something more…

_...falling into..._

Fear seized him, an impossible sense of wrongness he couldn't justify in any logical way, yet knew he had to obey.

_No._ He couldn't let himself be that vulnerable. _Never again, Eobard,_ his thoughts whispered. _Everyone lives for themselves. Never forget the lessons that were hardest to learn._

The confusion he felt filled him with irritation, so he pushed _every_ thought away, focusing on that voice and that voice alone. He sighed in pure contentment and fixed on the enthralling gaze again.

He knew it would be painful, the nexus to come, and it was the kind of pain he hated most.

Barry ended his song.

"Thank you, Barry, for that. You're voice is heavenly."

Barry let out a small laugh of delight. "Glad you enjoyed it... I love you, Eo." He pressed into him, laying his head against his shoulder. He let out a deep breath.

Eobard realized they'd stopped dancing and that he simply held Barry to him. "I'll always be there for you," he whispered in a breath of air.

"I guess that's as close as it gets," Barry murmured back, sounding resigned. "Like I said before, you don't have to love me aloud... I know what's in your heart."

Eobard wanted to snort and say, _you have no idea..._ But he didn't - for both their sakes.

_Live like we'll never die..._ The words echoed to him.

_So why does it feel like I'm living because I am about to die?_

* * *

Here is the art (done by pencil, this time!). Eobard and Barry. Honestly, I don't care much for how I draw people, but it's just how I do it, and well, it's good enough to put up. I just wish I could do it(especially hands and clothing, ohmygawd) better. Still, I'm better than I used to be. I have another drawing I've done for this story, but I can't put it up until chapter 44, because of spoilers...

Tip - it probably looks better if you zoom out the page a little when looking at it. For some reason, it pixelates pretty badly up close.

~Eobarry ~

__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The entire first part of this chapter was completely different in my first write. But I really wanted to sneak in some fanboy Eobard into this story (I have been having major fanboy!Eobard feels lately, for some reason), so I added quite a bit here in my edits. And, there IS a reason for it (I try not to add new stuff unless there's sufficient justification for it), but it'll only make sense later. :)
> 
> And where is all this fluff and angst coming from??? ;-; Someone shoot me, cuz this is probably overkill...


	42. Dubiety

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is now two days until the nexus, the day the Time Demon returns....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have another smutty fic up, for those interested...
> 
> Okay, self-advertising is outta the way, so enjoy the chapter! :D

Barry sifted through the documents on the newer terminal in the white room of the Time Vault, searching for the one he'd need on his current project. While swiping through the most recent files, an unfamiliar one caught his attention. He expanded it, recognizing it as the logs on speedsters Eobard had used to calculate a frequency for Time Demon. Apparently, the other speedster must have forgotten to close it out. He made to do just that, but he stopped when his eyes caught the name on the log it was currently focused on. 

_Barry Allen/The Flash (Entries: 15,440)_

What was Eobard doing with _his_ file above all others? Wouldn't he be focusing on all the files equally?

Upon re-examination, he recognized that there was a new entry. So it hadn't been about the frequency, he realized. Eobard had actually made another recording. Was the Reverse still observing him? Unbothered, he chalked it up to force of habit. And maybe Eo was even using it as a diary of sorts. 

A nagging thought struck him.

He knew he should close the entire file out; he should respect the privacy of his lover's past...and yet, curiosity won out. "Gideon, could you play a random log from the original timeline?" He'd heard a lot from Eobard about that time, but to _actually_ have a record directly from it... He couldn't resist.

"I'm not sure that is wise, Mr. Allen. Are you sure you wish me to proceed?"

"What?" Barry asked. "What do you mean?"

"After Professor Thawne's last time jump against you, all entries prior to entry 1,202 have been code-locked as entries from the previous timeline. If such logs are accessed, I am required to reconfirm the decision before proceeding..." Then, she added more quietly, "and they were intended only for _his_ personal use _,_  Mr. Allen." It was almost as if she was saying, _he wouldn't want you to hear them now._

Barry shook the thought away. He bit his lip, feeling the faintest twinge of guilt. He shouldn't pry like this, not without permission. But he found himself nodding and saying, "I'm sure. Play it."

"Randomizing logs prior to log entry 1,202. Playing: log entry 632."

He heard Eobard’s voice play into the room, but it was harsher, quicker and more clipped than he recalled it being in quite some time. It was almost startling, yet incredible, how much something so simple as the way they conversed had changed. “It’s...strange to think of how all this began, though the word strange hardly justifies the true feeling such thoughts evoke. I remember it well, of course, but sometimes I wonder if my memories aren't deceiving me. A silly notion, I know...still, it has crossed my mind - doubt. Sometimes...things don't add up..." There was a sigh. "I remember the first time I opened my eyes after the experiment, after I’d gotten my speed. I remember, in that split second, feeling as if I had... _evolved_. And I had - physically, mentally...emotionally. But it’s one thing to see your cells transform under a microscope, and another to _feel_ it through your entire being... There was this feeling of...intimacy with the universe in living actual changes to myself from scientific manipulation and from observing it, breathing it, hurting from it...feeling pleasure from it. There’s something...comforting, too, in being able to recognize this...to ponder it..." He cleared his throat. "But, of course, I’m off topic.

"In my recent records, I am attempting to understand the Flash’s psychology more thoroughly. I feel this is key in overcoming him, of defeating him completely... I can't just kill him, after all. I have to destroy everything about him...  _Ahem_. Today - October 9th, 2171 - I discovered that when presented with a difficult choice, the Flash will not hesitate to do what is necessary to succeed in a situation. For example, he crushed his own arm in a grinder - nearly dying, I might add - to rescue the hostage he’d been presented with. Unfortunately, this does not give me any further insight into his...obsessive, compulsive need to be the hero. He does it for glory, of course, but...to throw his life on the line for glory - to suffer extensive injuries for it... Even when I was interested in such, I would never have gone to those lengths... It's a fucking  _mental condition._ Of what kind, I am unsure. Is there such a condition as a god-complex? And how do you tear it down, if so?

"And the _hypocrisy_..." He laughed harshly. "He calls _me_ insane..." He sighed. "I'm wondering if I'll ever know... Hmm... Maybe if I could get an _actual_ brain scan, but it'd have to be multiple scans in different scenarios... That would be interesting. Perhaps I should lure him into an MRI… A child would do it, he has a soft spot for them. Heh...simple really... I'll have your secrets soon, _hero_... I win again, Flash...”

The recording ended.

Barry blinked, staring. He didn't know what he'd expected...but it definitely wasn't _that_. “Gideon...did Eobard...perform experiments on speedsters? On...myself? He...used...children as lures? _Children?_ ”

Gideon hesitated. She actually hesitated. How did an AI hesitate? Maybe he imagined it. "...Yes, Mr. Allen.”

“Wh...Why?”

“He said he needed to understand.”

"Understand what?"

"The Flash," she replied simply.

"Gideon...play another log after that one."

"Playing: Log entry 662."

"For seeming so invincible," Eobard's voice spoke once more from the terminal, "the Flash is relatively simple to capture. Civilians in this city are such a weakness, it's almost laughably easy... It's quite incredible he's still alive after all this time... And they told me I didn't stand a chance." There was a noise, a slight thump. Barry heard a rattling sound in the background of the recording. Eobard continued, "ten days without food... That's nearly starvation for a speedster with a still fully-functioning metabolism, and yet...his demeanor hasn't regressed in the slightest. Incredible willpower. Perhaps fueled by his god complex? I-"

"If you have something to say, Thawne," a voice interrupted. Barry recognized the voice as his own, "then say it to my face. What are you trying to accomplish, with this? I thought you wanted to kill me."

"Quiet. You're ruining my concentration." There was another thump. "Zero percent reaction to mild pain - a light punch," Eobard said in a cold voice. "Fifteen percent to medium pain - a strong kick" There was another thump and an _oof_. "Thirty percent to high pain - a burn." There was a sizzle and a gasp. "Fifty percent to severe pain - Speed Force overload via direct-contact conductors." There was a flipping sound followed by a buzz and a scream of pain that carried for several heartbeats. "...Incredible pain tolerance," Eobard said when it died away. "Other speedsters like Jay Garrick and Wally West black out from that last one...yet no explainable reason as to why _he_ resists, even after the tenth time... It has to be related to mentality... And I need to know how. I need to find a correlation."

"Eo...bard," panted the original Flash. "Stop this...insanity... This isn't...who you...really are..."

There was a wet snick, followed by another gasp of pain. "Do I have to gag you, Flash?" Eobard asked, sounding irritated. "I told you to shut up. The only reason I haven't gagged you yet is because I really don't want you to have anything to bite down on in these experiments. You can't escape the pain...or muffle the screams."

"Gideon," Barry said, his insides wrenching, "that's enough. Turn it off."

The log closed.

Barry shook his head, feeling strange and a little sick after hearing Eobard so cold, after hearing himself saying things he'd never said in a situation he'd never experienced- catching a glimpse of that original hatred. Gideon was right. He didn't need to listen to these. That was all in the past, decades ago, a time when Eobard had hated him. Still, it struck him as disconcerting, wondering just how much of that timeline he didn't know or understand. Just _how_ much had Eobard done then? Just how far had he gone? Was the Reverse Flash truly a good person under all of the darkness?

_Of course he is. He's done so much good lately._

But wasn't he a master manipulator? He had no guilt filter for his actions, so what was there to stop him from doing whatever dark thing he wished?

Like torture...

The Flash sighed. Eobard had wanted to understand that him. But did that him ever want to understand Eobard? He himself - here in this timeline - had tried to understand the man he'd once seen as a monster. Even in the past - he'd wanted to understand why his mother had died, even if he'd been incapable of forgiving then. Pushing such thoughts away, he let out a large exhale. For the first time in a long time, Barry suddenly despised himself for doubting, for wondering...and yet, the uncertainty was definitely still there. But he didn't want to focus on it.

_Carpe diem,_ he reminded himself, in spite of the sudden dark thoughts lingering in the back of his mind. 

He got what he needed and left the Time Vault.

* * *

"If we redirected the power to the overboard, and the output was at least eighty percent of the overall energy usage...well, that would take care of the energy problem," Barry said, writing furiously on the electronic board. A string of equations was left in his hand's wake. He stared at them, chewing his lip in thought.

"You would still have to account for the gravity and inertia," Eobard responded from where he sat in his usual chair, tossing a small ball and catching it repeatedly. Gravity and inertia, he reflected, were both acting upon the little sphere that was entertaining his hands absently in that moment. "Even if you have an efficient energy source, you're going to have to direct it in multiple... _directions_." He twisted the ball when he next caught it, spinning it in his palm. He tossed it towards the wall, and it bounced back. Thanks to his own hand-eye coordination, the ball never strayed from where he wished it to go.

Barry thought for a minute. "We could have a spherical quantum core. The energy output would be in infinite directions." He erased furiously, then began writing faster than before, resulting in a sloppier rendition of the work. "Yes," he said, excitement bubbling up in his voice. There was a slight thud after the 'yes' as Eobard threw the ball a bit harder against the wall. Barry was oblivious, and he found that amusing. "That would give it the ability to change direction, with a zero percent decrease in energy efficiency!" He slammed the last letter down, tossing the marker through the air. He turned around, grinning, hands out, the epiphany of triumph.

_And this is the man I can't seem to stop thinking about lately._ Eobard chuckled and caught the polymeric sphere once more. He gazed at Barry, savoring the sight of him.

"What?" Barry asked with a smile as he lowered his arms. "Too much Cisco influence?”

"Cisco’s influence has done wonders for your character, Barry… and you getting all excited over this-"

"Quantum gravitational device," the hero said excitedly.

"-Yes, when we may very well die in a matter of _days_."

Barry crossed the room, standing before him. "Well, I like solving problems. I find it relaxing. Besides, this gravity device is going to be the reason you have a job soon besides doing nothing but sitting on your ass and throwing a ball around the cortex all day."

"Oh, I know." Eobard chuckled again, sitting the mentioned ball on the desk. So Barry _had_ noticed. "It's simply amusing when you go all fanboy over it."

A flush of red filled the other's cheeks. "I don't... _fanboy_..." He furrowed his brow.

Eobard chortled once more and leaned back, putting his hands behind his head. He was secretly proud of the fact he finally had a reason to use that term on the Flash, even if his Barry would never fully understand his reasons for choosing to say it. Of course, this wasn't that Flash, and it wasn't quite as satisfactory because of that. But it was still amusing. "Well, it's entertaining to watch, whatever you want to call it."

"Just for that, you can just go to...wherever you lived before moving here and sleep there tonight."

"Okay," Eobard replied. "Then you'll wake up tomorrow in my arms."

"Never."

"Oh, _always_. You know you can't stay away from me, Flash."

Barry rolled his eyes. "Unbelievable. You know, even if we aren't enemies anymore, you're still a dick," he bantered.

“Well,” Eobard replied, cheerful, “you are what you eat.”

Barry stared at him. His face turned red again, brighter than before. Eobard honestly never tired of seeing it - it was far too amusing. He fought to keep his own expression straight as Barry ducked his head and face-palmed with both hands, groaning in annoyance. “I can’t even...” he said, voice muffled.

The Reverse lost his composure and snorted. He raised a hand and hid the grin behind it, though he figured it wouldn't do much good.

The Flash dropped his arms and shook his head. With a sigh, he turned back to the board. He was quiet, staring at it.

A few seconds went by like this in complete silence. Eobard felt a rather abrupt shift in demeanor, a change in the man's vibrations. It was an odd feeling, one Eobard hadn't been exposed to before, yet familiar, almost like-

He narrowed his eyes. "Are you upset with me, Barry? You _were_ acting odd earlier this morning..."

"If I am," Barry replied, pivoting back to him, “it has nothing to do with that comment.”

“What?” He felt confusion, uncertain what the change in the mood had been caused by. “If? So are you? Or aren’t you?”

“I may be.”

"Aw," Eobard replied, standing. He moved closer, wrapping his arms around him. Barry stiffened. "At least it's not _a lot_. I think I know how to make it better, too.” The Reverse Flash kissed him.

"Actually, it's more than a little," Barry said, pulling back with an unwavering frown. "I didn't want to let it...ruin anything, but I...can't keep ignoring it..." His frown softened, looking conflicted, but he pushed on, "last night-" he started.

"Last night? Eisla's party?" Eobard asked, uncertain. He tried to recall just what had irritated Barry then. It had gone  _very_ well, in his opinion. "What about it?"

The other let out an exhale. "I don't think you feel the same way about me, that I do about you."

It clicked. His mind flashed to Barry's not-so-subtle attempts to get Eobard to declare love. He rubbed his forehead. "There it is," Eobard muttered, dropping his arm. He returned to his seat, dropping onto it with resignation. "I knew this was coming... I just hoped it would wait until after Time Demon. Fine. If we have to talk about this _now_ , let's get it over with."

" _Get it over with_?" Barry echoed. "Does it even matter to you?" He scowled fully.

"Considering that I gave up crime, killing, our war, and a whole lot more, I think that should sufficiently answer that question."

"But you haven't given up the war, have you?" Barry asked, voice hard.

Eobard gave him his best look of disbelief. "Care to clarify?"

"Time Demon is still coming for us, for the same reason it was when all of this started over a month ago - _our war.._. I don't think he's lying about that, because it's important to him. If he's from the future, he would live whatever alterations we make to the timeline. He'd know if the fight was really done.... There's something holding you back, isn't there? Some part of you that hasn't let go of our fight. It's the same thing that keeps you from saying that you love me."

Eobard felt a stab of uncertainty, despite the anger that also threatened to seize him. He ignored both feelings the best he could. "If I was not serious about giving up the war, why on Earth would I have saved your life? The idea of killing you, once so thrilling, now turns my stomach."

"Then why can't you say you love me?" Barry asked, folding his arms. Somehow, he managed to look accusing, like that. "If we feel the same way...it shouldn't be a hard thing to admit."

"I told you, I _can’t_ love you," Eobard snapped. "I'm incapable. But if you want me to say it so badly. Fine. I will if it will get you to lay off...but only if you say to my face that you're okay with a lie between us."

The Flash shook his head. "Then what do you call it, if not love? I know you feel _something_ for me."

"I...don't know, honestly," Eobard replied slowly, at a loss. How did one explain something that defied words? Whatever it was he felt, it was caused by all of their history, emotions, and powers...and there was no description for it in any language. "It's a passion...an addiction..." The answer sounded lame, even in his own ears. "We're reverses," he tried again, but that answer just put a confused look on the other man's face. He shrugged. "I don't know," he repeated.

Barry dropped his head, running a hand through his hair before looking up, plainly agitated. "I think there's more to it." His arms moved animatedly now. "Why do you act like it’s such a terrible thing?"

"I told you," Eobard said, leaning forward, "that I can't have any more than that. You know why? Because there is a very good chance it will backfire. _Majorly_."

They glared at each other.

"I just-" Barry sighed but looked no less agitated, "I can't... I can't understand how you don’t feel like I do? When we’re together, it has to be more than- You didn't save my life for an _addiction_ or because we're reverses or whatever weird excuse you can come up with. You..."

"Here's how it is," Eobard said. "I trust and respect you. I like you, even though you're incredibly irritating at times, - you're handsome, smart, funny occasionally. You are the hero I never had, nor want anymore, but got anyway. I will always be there if you need me, especially in a fight. I am not, however..." he trailed off, shaking his head. _Why do I bother? Every word is falling on deaf ears at this point._ He knew how pointless arguments of this kind really were. They had no winner, and this one just put a sour taste in his mouth, reminding him of a time he and the Flash were sworn enemies."Barry," he started again, trying a more reasonable angle "...this kind of love you want... It has be selfless...and okay with dying. I will never be okay with us dying. I'm selfish and vain and cruel, and as you so eloquently put it - a dick... So no, I can't love you, not in the way you want," Eobard said. Softer, he added, "because it's not _who_ I am."

"Right," Barry said, somehow managing to scowl even more. "So what this really boils down to, is that you're a _coward_. You're Reverse Flash. I forgot."

_How the hell did he draw that conclusion?_ Eobard shook his head. "That's what you think?"

"Yeah," Barry muttered. “That’s what I think.” His expression darkened. "I listened to an early log you had on me, by the way. Your...experiments..."

Eobard closed his eyes, realizing suddenly that this is what Barry's anger was really about. "That's unfair. I can't defend myself against that kind of ammunition, Barry," he sighed.

"Eobard... You're capable of... _anything_... Aren't you?"

_Except killing you,_ almost spilled from his mouth. Even when they were enemies, he'd never quite managed to end the life he'd wanted to end most of all... Instead of saying that, though, Eobard met the almost pleading gaze locked on him. Barry wanted him to deny what he'd said, he knew. But he couldn't. "I'm not going to lie to you," Eobard muttered. "I told you - I'm a monster. I am capable of whatever you heard...and more. I did those things, in that timeline. I remember them. I hurt you and others...in ways that...are unforgivable. But I won't ask forgiveness - not from you or anyone else... I don't regret what I did, and I...could do it all again, if the circumstances were right."

Barry blinked, but didn't say a word. The look on his face now seemed to be one of disappointment and sorrow instead of anger.

Eobard added in a quiet voice, “and maybe _you_ haven't let go of the war, either. Maybe it's not all _my_ fault.”

Now it was Barry's turn to look at him in disbelief. “What? Me? How do you figure?”

“You didn't trust me not to turn on you in our fight against Darkstar - our last major battle together," the Reverse pointed out. "...And now, with the experiments...and Time Demon... Barry. I'm not lying to you about this 'do I love you or not' thing... Because if I'm lying about that...then you're lying about trusting me. And I think we're both done lying to each other, aren't we?”

Barry's head sunk, but Eobard didn't miss the pain in his eyes.

He felt his gut twist.

"So Time Demon _is_ right." Barry's voice was low, miserable. "It's just a matter of time. Maybe we have peace for...years...or decades...maybe even centuries, though unlikely...but one day, from the sheer odds of it - like the chaos theory - the pattern has to repeat itself. It's a vicious cycle. It's just how mathematics and science work... And it _will_ repeat, because we are both capable of this war still, aren't we? It's just a matter of time...like a volcano eruption...or a mass extinction event... It's _both_ of our faults."

Eobard hardly blamed Barry for resorting to such comparisons. Science had always been a comfort - for both of them, he knew.

The Flash turned and began to leave the room, looking defeated.

Eobard spoke, halting him, "Barry. Don't be senseless. If you do this now, you'll regret it later. We have so little time left, that we need not spend it arguing in circles about this."

"Just..." Barry held up a hand, palm out, as if he had to physically ward off Eobard's plea. He exhaled, shaking his head, "...give me some time to think."

* * *

"There appears to be a flaw in your equation," Eobard stated to the man, folding his arms in annoyance.

"What do you mean, Professor?" the scientist asked, looking up from the hologram. He didn't quite meet Eobard's eyes, and he fidgeted with his hands.

"I've been looking at this," Eobard replied, gesturing at the light, "and it's a mess. Didn't you have a degree in higher science?"

"Yes, sir, graduated with honors from the Atom University." The man bit his lip, shifting uncomfortably under the negative attention. "Top of my class, sir."

"Okay, if you're so smart, Mister Top of His Class, then tell me when you're going to realize that you need to switch the denominator out to account for the quantum pull of the g-"

"Professor Thawne," interrupted the voice - the voice he'd been waiting for - rich and grating across his ears with agitation. He didn't miss the scientist deflating with relief at the timely intervention by Eobard's business partner. 

"Mr. Allen," Eobard stated like a fact, turning to the man standing behind him. He noted the other's expensive suit of black and white, with a reverse color placement to his own. Those eyes fixed on him, burning with an inner fire.

The room of scientists fell silent around them.

"Leave him alone," Mr. Allen commanded. "He's had a hard week. Mistakes happen."

Eobard glanced back at the scientist that he'd been reprimanding. With a shrug, he stepped towards Barry. "Hm, maybe it's just me, but you don't seem to care _at all_ that we are behind schedule like usual, _Mr. Allen_. And do you know why we're behind? Because everyone here is _not putting in their all_. They are lazy, undisciplined; you are too lenient."

The other scowled, face twisting. "And you are too hard, Professor Thawne. We founded this company on the principles that science is for the advancement of mankind. If we are not merciful to our workers, then we will fail to advance in any meaningful way, regardless of schedule."

"Yes, yes," Eobard replied, rolling his eyes. "It's a good thing you have me, then, because STAR Laboritories would go under again if it were up to you alone. It's amazing we're still managing to survive the competition at all."

It was pin-drop silent. Eobard was aware of everyone trying to stare at them without being noticed.

"These aren't just laboratories," replied Mr. Allen with a broad gesture at the room, stubborn as ever, "this is a facility to bring in the future, a gesture to the coming age."

Eobard snorted. "Such an idealist. Other labs aren't so willing to be as lazy as you are, Mr. Allen."

"We won't last without our ideals, Professor Thawne. Ideals are the entire reason humanity has made it this far. I suggest you try to remember that."

"Humanity has made it this far from hard work, firm leaders, and discipline, _partner_ ," Eobard replied, stepping even closer to the man, nearly in his face. "I'm going to go double-check those schedules again. If I find out you've been giving some of the workers too much time off, then I'll have to make some... _adjustments._ Be thankful. It's better for everyone this way." He strolled out the door.

"I'll accompany you," Mr. Allen said behind him, "to ensure you don't overdo it." Footsteps followed him until the other man had caught up and matched his stride.

Eobard snorted. They marched down the hallway and turned down another, the remodeled corridors clean and appealing in appearance. For a moment, he mused how much work had gone into this place, before thinking of the various deadlines he had to meet. Mr. Allen certainly wasn't being much help. He started muttering at him about how irritating his work-attitude was and that he should really improve upon it. In response, he grabbed Barry's suit in a familiar, curving corridor, halting his words. He dragged him into the Time Vault.

"What is your deal?" Barry asked, straightening his suit. The door closed. "You do this all the time!" He complained. "We have work-"

"This, this is my deal." Eobard yanked him closer, leaning forward to kiss him.

"Eobard." He looked up to see Barry staring down at him. When had he sat down? "Hello. Earth to Professor Thawne."

He blinked in confusion, the Time Vault gone. Someone was shaking him. He found that he was in his chair in the cortex, not the Time Vault, gazing at the floor. He inhaled and sat up straight, realizing he'd gotten very carried away by his imagination. Or maybe he'd been asleep. Or maybe it was a bit of both. He met Barry's confused expression. "I was in another space. What is it?"

"It's about earlier," Barry said, staring at him for a moment. His bemusement finally faded, and he continued, "I thought about it, and-"

"Look," Eobard interjected, hoping to head this off before it got any worse, "I didn't mean to-"

"I know," Barry said. "I know, and it's okay."

"You...you do? It is?"

He pulled another chair over and sat by Eobard. "Yes. And, I realized something. There's no point in getting mad over it now. I wish I could change your mind about what's between us, about what you feel...and I wish I could change _all_ of this, this doubt and worry...and the war...and I’m disappointed, but... It's so close to the nexus, that I don't want us to be at each other's throats the whole time before. You are right; I'll regret it. So, if we have to argue about it, then it’s just going to have to wait until after Time Demon is dealt with." He scooted closer so their chairs were touching.

Eobard put an arm around his shoulders. "Glad to hear you come to your senses - well, mostly."

"I'll just ignore that comment... So, what were you thinking about?"

"What the near future might hold, after the nexus," Eobard responded with a vague gesture. "But for now, since you're here, I'd much rather focus on the present."

"Me too," replied the Flash, leaning against him, resting his head on Eobard's shoulder. "Sorry," he muttered. "This is just...harder than it should be, considering all that I've been through. I never get used to this sort of thing, though."

Eobard tightened his grip, once again despising the pain that his Barry was feeling. "You never have to apologize to me, Barry... Ever."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, this chapter got dark...
> 
> Anyway. Yes, I know Barry already said he knows Eobard loves him, but humans are doubtful creatures by nature. And oft what we say is heavily influenced by how we feel in that second. Barry is feeling annoyed at Eobard's refusal to admit his feelings, and so he's feeling more likely to doubt his intentions (and the log entry he listened to that just kind of reminded him how bad it really was in that original timeline - he's never known an Eobard that dark, tbh). Just putting that out there.
> 
> And please forgive me for that "you are what you eat" joke. I totally stumbled across that when looking at OTP prompts and couldn't resist not adding it, when it fits so perfectly... (-_-')


	43. Eve of the Nexus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is now one day until the nexus, the day the Time Demon returns...

Eobard found himself seated in a diner with Barry. Rain poured outside the window by the booth where they set, constant, steady and soothing. The two of them ate quietly, enjoying a companionable silence. As Eobard sipped some red wine, his thoughts jarred loose. "Do you think the Time Demon is truly human, Barry?"

The other speedster shook his head. "It makes the most sense, I suppose."

Eobard watched drops of rain trailing on the glass, collecting and racing in unison under the influence of gravity. "If you take away the....weird effects, he is roughly the size of a man, in a large suit. Perhaps it's a futuristic armor."

"It's really not that fair," Barry muttered.

Eobard pulled his attention from the weather and looked at him, raising an eyebrow.

Barry's hand fiddled with his holoblock, flipping and turning it on the table absently. "He's trying to punish us for something we haven't done yet..."

Eobard sipped more wine. "From the way he spoke, I think this is less of a punishment...and more of a preventative measure."

The hero of Central City grimaced. "If only he would just stop for a second and sit down with us so we could discuss this like adults."

For some reason, that notion amused Eobard. He chortled. "Another reason to indicate he's human. Despite showing reluctance in his task, he is unwilling to try and work with us. If he were, then that would show a wisdom that there is more than one way to accomplish something. Most people don't hold such perceptions... Not unlike myself for so long..." He furrowed his brow. "He's afraid, I think. And fear is a very human feeling."

"Afraid of what?" Barry asked with a frown.

"Afraid of the war. Perhaps someone he cares for gets caught up in it. But if that were the case, one would think he would just rescue them if he’s going to mess with the timeline anyway." Eobard shrugged. "Either way, he's definitely a meta...with a penchant for the cruel, as it were... Definitely a man... Or _ he_ could be a _she_ \- a woman… She could be using a voice modulator to get that deep voice effect... Who could say for certain?"

"Well, whatever he-she-it is, they'll regret giving us another chance to figure out their frequency." Barry looked at his own glass, but didn't drink from it. After a moment, he refocused on the Reverse. "Anyway, after we deal with him - or her? - what are your intentions for us? Last night, you said you were thinking of the future if we survive? Was it a good one?"

Eobard heaved a sigh. "I didn't really want to admit it, but if these last few days have taught me anything, then I know that I want to share everything with you...because tomorrow may be the last."

Barry’s eyebrows raised. "What do you mean?"

"Well, lately, I've been having this silly daydream..." Eobard hesitated, already feeling the vaguest sensation of awkwardness. It was bad enough that such feelings were rare for him. It likely made them seem worse when they did occur.

"Yeah?" Barry encouraged.

"Well..."  _N_ _ow or never, Eobard._  He plowed on before he could change his mind, never breaking eye-contact with his Barry, "in this daydream, you quit being CSI, and I see us running STAR Labs as partners. It's full of brilliant minds just like before, back in the twenty-first century..." He chuckled, recalling the memory of his childish fantasy. "The catch, though, is that we are complete enemies in front of everyone. No one understands how we even managed to put the damn operation together in the first place - much less run it. We oppose each other all the time, at board meetings, over who works when, even for seeming no damn reason at all...but when we're alone... Well, let's just say that _nothing_ can separate us..."

"That is..." Barry seemed to search for a word. "... _In_ _teresting._.." His lips curled into a smile, though. Perhaps Eobard imagined it, but it seemed to be a flattered one. Or perhaps it was just an indulgent one to hide his real reaction. Somehow, Eobard didn't think it was the latter.

He smiled too because Barry was infectious like that, and the grin on his face was true. He rolled his shoulders again, hard. "Yeah, I know, it makes no sense, but it really tickles me when I imagine it… Maybe, in a way, I miss our fighting - not in _that_ way," he added quickly. "It's just...it was...something that only _we_ could share."

"I'm sure we'll think of something to replace it." Barry laughed.

"I think we already have. The sex is amazing."

Barry laughed again, a hint of red creeping into his face. "Yeah... At any rate, STAR Labs is the perfect next step, I think." He scrunched his brow in thought. "Quitting the CCPD would be weird, though. I'd miss having free access to crime scene forensics and the criminal database. But it is an interesting thought, considering doing something new with my life..."

"Change can be good."

Barry agreed, "just like the change between us."

For awhile, silence fell between them. Barry reached for Eobard's hand, and the Reverse took what was offered, holding it. He found the warmth there comforting, a sensation he was getting used to feeling around his Flash. He looked out at the street, watching the rain pour and race into the gutters. "Did you know,” he murmured, “that fall is my favorite season? ...The first cold of winter hinted at on the wind, biting, unforgiving, unrepentant... The trees once green, reversing colors, as if to prove they can. And the rain. I always loved sitting in my room reading a holobook with the rain pattering outside the window... And if those weren't enough reasons, October was when my sister was born. We were very close, once." He shook his head.

"Until I became your obsession," Barry guessed.

"Actually, even before I attempted to become a speedster, I’d already been out of contact with my family for...my own reasons, but you were the one that completely severed me from my old life... Eisla didn't understand what happened to me...none of them did. No one could." His eyes flicked between Barry's. "But _you_ did _,_ after I jumped back in time... Then, I learned that my dad knew about my being the Reverse Flash, and that I’d scrambled up my DNA in a really bad way..." He laughed, shaking his head with some lingering incredulity. It was still a little hard to believe just how modified his genetics truly were. He thought again on how Barry's weren't even slightly altered. _Always reversed,_ he mused.

He looked at the fingers in his own, slimmer, but just as strong.

"If only everything wasn't screwed up, right?" Barry asked, squeezing his reverse's hand. “Maybe our lives would have been different... Maybe we wouldn't be dealing with this war, now. Maybe we wouldn't have ever been enemies. Maybe...we could have had everything we wanted, right from the start."

Eobard ran a thumb over the back of Barry's hand. "Honestly, Barry," he said with what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "I couldn't see this happening any other way." He drained his glass.

"You’re probably right. There's never been a _normal_ when it comes to us."

"Mmm hmm. That is true."

Barry raised his drink into the air. "So, live like we'll never die?"

"Live like we'll never die," Eobard echoed.

They tapped glasses. One was empty. The other was full.

* * *

They strolled out of the restaurant, rain hitting them.

Eobard inhaled the crisp, damp air and the fresh scent of precipitation. "Feels good, doesn't it?"

"Yeah."

They passed under a hovering, white streetlight in the rain-drowned night. On impulse, Eobard seized Barry, halting him. The rain glistened on his clothes, standing out starkly in the faint illumination. Eobard could see each individual droplet that plummeted, that fell on and around him. He saw them glisten like crystals, adding beauty, adding depth to the world.

He stared into the breathtaking eyes that flickered with gold electricity.

Eobard raised a hand and placed it on the side of his face. “Barry... If I could apologize... _truly_ apologize... I would... I told you I don’t regret what I did. And I don’t...but I hate to see you in _any_ pain...” He leaned in and kissed him. He felt the incredible man press against him, felt the way their skin touched where it wasn’t covered in clothes, damp, catching with friction. The warmth in his chest intensified. It reminded him of their very first kiss in this timeline - the one in the rain on the ground. He drew back reverently, once again tracing every inch of Barry's features, as if to memorize them... "I don't know what we are, Barry," Eobard finally said. "All I know is that...what we have...is one of a kind. Tomorrow-"

"Isn't here yet," Barry interrupted in just as quiet a voice. He swallowed. "So...don't say too much… You’re very talented at ruining the mood."

Eobard smiled, but it was forced, painful. "Race you."

"You'll lose."

"Let's see, shall we, _Flash?"_

Speed Force flared around them. Eobard ran in stride with the hero, droplets of water stinging his skin with each step. The Speed Force resonated in his being, _alive_ and  _glorious._ It was warm and comforting sharing it with the Flash. There was a tightness in his chest, though, a sensation of want. He wanted more than this last night to be with his Barry. And if he could stop time, he would hold it here forever in this one moment and never let it go.

* * *

Rain thrummed softly on the roof, and watery light flooded in from the dimmed window. The room was still, quiet and peaceful. Together, Flash and Reverse lay entwined in their bed, breathing as one, holding each other, inseparable.

Barry shifted in the blankets. "Still raining," he muttered, "probably cold." If he weren’t already pressed as close to his reverse as he could be, Eobard imagined he would have moved closer after saying that. "If this were any other day, I'd just lie here with you for as long as you'd let me."

They'd stayed awake the entire night, unable to sleep, just talking about everything and nothing until the light of the gray day outside had made itself known to them. They hadn’t even engaged in any sexual activity. Eobard felt certain that that had seemed too much like saying goodbye for Barry. As for himself, he just doubted he could get into any kind of mood to get it up, even if he wanted to. Unlike how this had begun, there was more to this relationship than sex.

He tilted his face just enough, inhaling Barry's scent. "How do you know I would let you lie here with me for much longer than you will today?" He asked the Flash.

"I'd find a way," Barry said, and his tone of voice suggested he was smiling. That was good. Eobard adored his smile, and he wanted it around as much as possible in the time they had left. “Maybe with a kiss...or just by putting my face against your neck. That gets you, right?”

Eobard snorted with brief amusement, but he couldn't dispute such a solid argument.

They fell into silence.

Struggling against dark storm clouds gathering in his heart, Eobard turned his gaze to the uninteresting ceiling above. It was becoming too painful to look at Barry. He didn’t know what he’d do if- He forced himself not to think of _that._ "This is it," he said, "the nexus. I guess we have to decide where to meet the Time Demon."

Barry shifted slightly, sighing. "I think here is fine. Outside, maybe. I mean, this is where it all started...with STAR Labs..."

“It’s not where it started for me, exactly, but...I think this is where _we_ \- as we are now - started. It’s appropriate.”

Eobard felt the man's arm shift from his chest. He was disappointed to see it go. The other speedster moved away, and _already_ , Eobard wanted to drag Barry back to him because of the silly way his brain reacted in such situations. He wanted to feel the warm body pressed against his again as they were wrapped in the comfort of blankets, lying in perfect happiness on a soft bed. He forced himself to be still, to only continue gazing upward as Barry left his side. He screamed inside. 

His opposite sat up, shoulders sagging. He ran a hand through his unkempt hair. He turned, dangling his legs off the bed. "Think we have time for coffee?"

"One last cup? It seems only fair."

"Last... No, not last..."

Eobard also pushed into a sitting position before the lack of the other speedster's warmth drove him insane. "Barry." He looked at the man's head, hoping his gaze would be felt. He needed him to _know_ how much this mattered. "I...before we... I just wanted to say, that I'm grateful to have-"

"Be quiet, Eo," Barry cut him off, turning to meet his gaze with shining eyes. "We aren't going to die. No goodbyes."

It burned and stung to be shut out like that, even though he knew it had nothing to do with Barry trying to be cruel. Regardless, Eobard wouldn't tolerate it. He'd have his farewell, no matter what the Flash said. "But...we don't know for sure," he pointed out as reasonably as possible, ignoring the ache in his chest. "If..." He bit the inside of his cheek for just a moment before pushing on, "-if we don't say farewell now...we may _never_ get the chance." It _hurt_ even worse to even admit the possibility.

Barry climbed to his feet, taking a few steps from the bed, worryingly silent.

Eobard was unable to not be reminded how  _stunning_ Barry was like this, exposed, hair so soft-looking, pale skin smooth and unmarred, his eyes like jewels, his lithe, lean form _regal_ and _alluring_. He was Eobard's light in the darkness... Reverse Flash was reminded again of how perfect _his_ Barry was. "Barr," he murmured, deciding to try another angle. His voice caught the man's attention. "My mother... She was here one day, then gone the next...same with yours... You got to say farewell... But I didn't get to say that to mine..." He pushed from the bed and likewise stood. "And I wish I could... Every day, I wish I could."

Allen looked away.

"So, please," Eobard whispered, "if there is even a _chance_ that this is our last time speaking to each other like this..."

Barry's eyes jumped back to Eobard's. He crossed the room and embraced him, holding him tight as if he meant to never let go. "You're such a prick," he breathed in a tight voice, nuzzling his hair, "...using that emotional card." Eobard heard him swallow.

"It's the only one that works on you..."

The Flash leaned back. "Fine... You first."

Eobard savored this moment, even with the ache inside trying to build _even more_. He pressed their foreheads together. "You are the greatest man I have ever known...if this is it, then farewell, Flash. _Ab imo pectore_."

"And you are the best - and worst - that I have known, Reverse Flash," Barry murmured. "And I will love you until my last breath."

They kissed, long and slow, careful to luxuriate in it, to not waste it or take it for granted. The touch of their lips was electrifying, and Eobard held onto that feeling for as long as he dared. Even when the touch did end, they remained close together, their foreheads connected once again.

Barry's breath fanned across Eobard's face intimately. "And..it's okay. Like I keep telling you - you don't have to say that you love me... I know you do... Just in your own, weird, obsessive, stalkery way." Barry's mouth curved in a small smile.

"Whatever happens," Eobard replied, brushing their lips again briefly, "I’ll always be there for you.”

"And I know that's as close as it gets..." Barry blinked his endearing eyes.

Eobard only gazed back, surprised how he was so calm on the outside in spite of the turmoil raging within. He felt helpless, unable to stop what came next...whatever it may be. “We do this together. _Manus in mano_.” He wrapped his fingers around Barry's. “Hand in hand.”

“Hand in hand,” Barry echoed, kissing his knuckles. “Now let’s end this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What Eo says, _Ab imo pectore_ , means _from the bottom of my heart_. I hope that's what it means, anyway. I don't know Latin, and I just get this stuff from the internets, which can be unreliable occasionally. I should just go ahead and say that about all the Latin that's in this fic.
> 
> And yes, this chapter was short. That's because it is meant to set up for the finale and serve as a breath of air before the nexus.  
> Hope there's no typos! I'm staying up way too late tonight. XD


	44. The Great Divide

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Nexus has arrived...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have some art at the bottom of this chapter, but don't look at it until you've finished reading. It contains spoilers.
> 
> And, well...this chapter is...super long and... _very_ heavy, sooooo...
> 
> Brace yourself, angst is coming. T-T (and you might wanna grab a box of tissues while you're at it). Heed the newest tag I've added.

The rain didn't stop. In fact, it picked up. Eobard made his way through the wet, STAR Labs lot, the bright colors of his friction-proof suit dulled in the watery light of the overcast sky. On ancient asphalt partially covered in broken debris and brown grass, he halted, standing his ground, the cold air seeping into him. He was certain the temperature had little to do with the chill in his heart, though.

Barry, at his side, unwaveringly spoke. “I love you.”

The chill didn't lessen.

Eobard didn’t respond to those three words. He stared at the fence covered in old, rusted-out warning signs that were barely legible and falling apart on the far side of the lot instead.

The Flash spoke again, "think the Time Demon will understand that this is the place?"

"Was that rhetorical, Mr. Allen?" Eobard replied, raising his chin a little, "of course he'll know. He’ll find us and kill us wherever we go.."

Silence.

Barry scuffed the ground with his boot. "How long is he going to make us wait in this weather, then?"

"Not long, I imagine.”

The silence continued, permeated only by the steady, chilly rain.

" _This_ is your favorite season?" Barry questioned, flinging water from his arm.

Eobard inhaled the fall scents on the cold air. "Yeah."

Barry sighed. "Look, Eo, I just-" he started.

Eobard sensed the familiar spike in the Speed Force around them, and Barry must have too, because he went silent. The Time Demon appeared, standing before them. _"It seems you are both ready to meet your destiny.”_

“Hello to you, too," Barry muttered, then raised his voice, "just wait a second, dude - or, dudette if you’re a girl. Or maybe you don’t have a gender, or you could be tra-” he cut himself off, seeming to realize he was rambling. “Anyway, if… If we're about to die, I think it's fair we get to know why."

Time Demon stood like a statue, still and silent.

Eobard tensed, worried his demise would happen in the blink of an eye, that he’d never stand a chance. He feared the creature wouldn’t even give them an opportunity to use the newly-upgraded Punch. "I think we deserve to hear that much," he urged.

Time Demon looked at him, then switched his golden gaze back to Barry. _"You are both stalling."_

"So are you," Barry retorted, "you could have killed us by now. You could have raced in, saying nothing at all, and ripped our hearts out without us even knowing it until it was too late... But you didn’t do that. Come on, man. We know you don't really want to have to do this... So at least tell us why we can't sit down and work this out like grown, logical, mature adults."

_"Hmmm..."_ Time Demon considered. His indistinct outline cleared just enough for his shape to be perceived. He looked human, indeed, to Eobard.  _"Fine. I’ll tell you. You’ll be dead soon, anyway. It won't matter. Not now.”_ He hesitated, as if considering how he wished to reply. _“...We cannot_ sit down and work this out like adults, _Barry Allen,_ _because of you two. Not I."_

"Not from our perspective. _You’re_ attacking _us._ ”

Time Demon seemed to bristle at that. _"I have sat down_ already _and calculated every nexus, every moment, every memory, every timeline, searching for the solution. I spent_ centuries _, as everything fell apart... This is the only option. There is no winning the war. There is only preventing it."_

"You mean _our_ war," Eobard noted.

_"Yes."_

Barry drew a shuddering breath. “We...why can't we end it? We both have made the effort to stop our fight."

Time Demon hissed. _"Every word we exchange makes this more difficult."_ Claws appeared at his hands, large, vicious, cruel.

"Wait-wait-" Barry said, raising a hand. "Tell us why we cannot end our war. Please."

Time Demon tensed, but the claws disappeared. _"Because your hatred is not gone...it is only lost in a sea of confusion that you have crafted to deceive yourselves. Eobard, you most of all, have deceived yourself. There will come a day, when you wake up...and you wonder what you are doing, why you ever stopped being this man’s enemy, why you ever thought you could forgive him. And you, Allen, you will ask yourself every day after that why you thought a murderer could ever have a change of heart. You will wonder why you ever...loved the man who murdered your mother - the man who used and destroyed you."_

Eobard looked at Barry, clenching his jaw. “I figured,” he muttered. His heart sank. Even if they defeated the beast here and now, the war would still happen. “There is no happy end, here, regardless of the outcome of this day.”

But Barry, stubborn as ever, shook his head, clenching his jaw. He took a step forward. "I don't believe you,” he told the metahuman. “You aren't _me._ You don't know what I'm feeling, and you don’t know either of our hearts. Eobard is a good man. He wouldn't betray me."

_"I didn't think you would believe me,"_ Time Demon spat, _"which renders this entire conversation pointless. Now, are you ready to die?"_

"Just one more thing," Barry said, inches from the enemy now, holding its focus. “Why do _you_ care about the war, exactly?”

Eobard took a few steps to the left. He unfolded the Punch from his side, raising it. He put his finger to the trigger.

_Hope this works. If not, we're dead._

_"That is unimportant,"_ their enemy replied, oblivious to what he was doing.

"So was telling us why we have to die."

Eobard squeezed the trigger before he could answer. "How does this feel?" he snapped.

The burst of power struck the Time Demon. He went flying, spinning in the air from the sheer force of the upgrade. Barry darted in, raising a fist. He lashed downard, the attack hitting their foe in the face. Eobard moved, powering the weapon once more. Time Demon caught Barry's next attack, pulling him over and flinging him hard against the fence surrounding the lot. It rattled and swayed, the links of metal ripping off the poles from the force of the throw. Eobard pulled the weapon's trigger again, another wave of sound hitting their foe.

Time Demon gave an unholy scream, struggling to stand.

_It worked!_ Eobard felt relief and euphoria surge through him. All those moments, worrying the upgrade wouldn't be enough. Now, it seemed they would live long enough to work on the problem of their war. He knew that he could win this. He could defeat this being. He could find a way to make peace with his Barry. "Shouldn't have attacked us before," he gloated at the enemy. "We figured out what went wrong with the weapon, thanks to your friendly little reminder... You aren't very bright, are you?"

He saw blood leaking from the dark suit. Time Demon's outline was becoming more defined, less indistinct. He could make out the almost metallic substance of the suit, could see the golden glow in its eyes fading. He heard ragged gasps of pain ringing from the twisted mask.

"Just as I thought," Eobard continued, "you're definitely a metahuman. A speedster. Is that some kind of futuristic armor?"

Time Demon staggered to his feet. Eobard fired the gun again. The attack evidently caused pain, but the enemy pushed through this time, snarling like a wild animal, vicious and seeming to have nothing left to lose. Eobard dodged the fist flying at him, his foe's movements considerably slower and easier to evade. He ducked forward under the meta's arm, thrusting a phasing hand at his heart. Time Demon twisted away, just managing to escape a nasty injury.

Barry raced over, launching a series of speed punches into the speedster.

Eobard saw Speed Force flare in the enemy’s eyes.

He raised his hand and fired the Punch.

Too late.

Time Demon dodged the attack, vanishing in a blur.

"Damn it."

Their victory relied on keeping the foe slow enough to fight.

The world spiraled as he was flung away with a strike of incredible power. A shock of pain lanced through his entire body. He struck a chunk of loose concrete, the air leaving his lungs. The pain intensified, paralyzing. He gasped, trying to regain his breath. Through watering eyes, he looked up. Time Demon towered above him in that irritating, familiar way of his. His eyes washed with even more gold, his claws expanding. _"I apologize for this,"_ he said, raising them. _“If only there was another way.”_ He moved to strike.

The weapon fired again, multiple times in a row. It hit the enemy speedster.

Time Demon seized, claws vanishing, the shadowy effect falling away to show solid armor of twisted black metal woven together in intricate patterns underneath. The entire armor flowed as fluidly as any friction-proof suit when he moved. He grabbed his head, dropping to his knees. The suit was rather grotesque, in Eobard's opinion, the face of it twisted into an almost scarred appearance with two, pure-black eye-covers. Perhaps it'd been designed to frighten.

"I told you," Barry gasped at Eobard with annoyance. "You have to...flip the switch underneath...to get the multi-blasts. Why didn't you do that sooner?"

"I recalled you saying that would render the weapon useless for at least three minutes," Eobard returned, climbing to his feet with a wince. Thankfully, the pain was already mostly faded. "I wasn’t going to take that chance with our lives..." His eyes shifted to the Time Demon where he knelt. "We need to kill him." He rushed to the downed speedster.

"We aren’t killing him," Barry argued. "Besides, I want to know what he's doing here."

Eobard looked down at the foe. He felt pure irritation fill him. "We already know _why._ He's here to kill us. If we let him live, he'll just keep coming for us."

"Don’t you realize? He’s our only hope of understanding how to stop our war!”

Eobard seriously doubted that, but he just rolled his eyes and pushed the enemy to the ground with a foot on his chest. Time Demon didn't seem capable of moving, remaining still. Reverse Flash knew he should kill him. What were the odds leaving him alive would be useful? What were the odds he wasn't just giving the man a chance to recover and try again... But there was also a part of him that held Barry’s hope deep inside, that if they just communicated with this man, they’d find a way to end their war for good. Besides, Barry had never been a fan of killing. He probably wouldn't be very happy if Eobard went ahead with that.

Time Demon coughed wetly, gasping.

Eobard noted that the black of the mask's eyes had faded, as well, and that the man behind it had irises that were pure gold in color, intense and unbelievably bright. They were striking to see. Eobard was sure that color was only obtainable through genetic modification.

" _Wait... If...you...kill_...me...now... " their foe panted, distortion fading from his voice. It was a musical voice, pleasant to hear - so unlike the thunderous voice of the Time Demon. "I will simply find another way when I reach this point in time again. I have made this my mission, until the timeline is changed."

Eobard scowled. "Speak, then, but if there is even so much as a flicker of electricity, I will end you." He vibrated his hand for emphasis.

"Surely," Barry said with a meaningful glance at Eobard, "there is a way to end this without any of us dying."

Time Demon gave a ragged laugh, dropping his head onto the ground. "Such optimism."

"Who are you, and why do you want to kill us?"

Time Demon moved his hand up. Eobard shifted in response, stiffening, glaring a warning.

"I'm not going to attack," Time Demon assured at the hand Eobard pointed towards his heart. “Hear my story, then you can decide how it ends. I wasn’t looking forward to this possibility.” He pulled off his head piece.

His hair was ebony black, short and ruffled from the suit. His face was smooth, angular, framed by a strong jaw. His eyes once again were striking, almost glowing as lightning arced through them in small streaks. Eobard guessed that he was much older than he seemed, and in spite of his unusual appearance, there was something familiar in the shape of his eyes, in the way his features twisted in a grimace, in the slightest tilt of his head as he gazed back at them.

Eobard suddenly felt like this was a bad idea, though he did not know why.

"My name," said Time Demon, “...is complicated. I’ve had...several...thanks to the nature of my...existence. However, you may call me Farewell Valentine. That was my last...name.”

That was a very odd name, indeed. Futuristic, perhaps? “What do you mean?” Eobard asked. “Last?”

“Like I said - it’s complicated.”

“What was your first, actual name?”

“I...don’t remember.”

“I doubt that.” Eobard frowned, suspicious as to why this man was hiding it. Why would it matter?

The man glanced between them, “I don’t want you to call me by that name. The memories... They make it...difficult to hear it. Especially from you.”

“Fine,” Barry said, sounding impatient. "What happened...Farewell? Why do you want to kill us?"

"I come from the year 2517," he responded promptly. "The year your war with Eobard Thawne...finally...destroys this world...or close enough."

The words struck the breath from Eobard like a hurricane.

Barry gaped. “W-what? How is that...even possible?"

The future speedster narrowed his eyes. "No matter how much time passed, neither of you were strong enough to beat the other. Eventually, you started recruiting help - help in _any_ form. You even became leaders, symbols, obtaining incredible power...due to...certain circumstances. Either way, centuries upon centuries of allies accumulated, along with time remnants, clones, artificial intelligences in artificial bodies, metahumans, aliens, other dimensional beings - well, you understand what I'm getting at. They all answered to either you...or Thawne... More and more joined your causes, until the world was divided in two...or as closely as it could be." He swallowed. "You started an _actual_ war...and soaked this planet in blood...until nobody remembered why any of us were fighting anymore... It was a long time coming, of course...but eventually, your armies destroyed our world, made it a madhouse, a pure hell of misery...uninhabitable to any regular human and many of the others... At that point, I and a team calculated that if the condition of the world kept declining at the rate it was, then every last meta - and the human race - would be extinct by the year 2600...less than a century...and it would be pure suffering until those last moments..."

Eobard mulled that over with a frown. He couldn't imagine becoming any kind of leader. It sounded ridiculous. He'd always been a loner in his atrocities. He'd never been fond of _allies._ "Not saying I believe you, Mr. Valentine…but why change the natural course of history? If, indeed, that is what we are meant for...”

Time Demon growled, eyes flashing with sudden, wild emotion. "Because the original timeline, before your disruptions to it, Thawne, did not have that massive _war._ "

“And how would you know?”

“The..." he hesitated, jaw working. "...the Speed Force showed me.”

Eobard gave an incredulous bark of harsh laughter. “The Speed Force _showed_ you? What nonsense are you talking about?” He glanced at Barry. "He's insane."

Barry just frowned back, face unreadable.

Time Demon bared his teeth. “You _never_ believed in me or in the Speed Force. And now, the trend repeats itself even before my time.” The man’s fists balled. “Whether you believe it or not, _you_ started this, Thawne, when you ran back and killed Barry’s mother...changed who he fundamentally was...changed his fate....changed your fate… Changed every fate, including my own... So, I decided to kill you and he before you could fuck up the world. If the world is to end...it will not be because I refused to do what was necessary."

Barry frowned harder. "But so much has changed since you first appeared..."

"Yes," agreed the future speedster, "...but the fact that I'm here now means that it is not enough..." He averted his gaze. “I’m sorry... I too hoped that...maybe...my presence might be enough.”

"What happened?" Eobard asked, too caught up in the conversation to really think on what the man had just said. "Why did Barry and I end our...relationship? That is, if you even know."

Farewell shot him an irritated look. "Why do you think? There was a fight. Several... They got bad...got worse...became real and nasty and bitter and...physical. You became enemies again after a mere few years... You...did not last...in spite of your hopes..."

"Why?" Barry demanded. "I would die for...him... I love him."

"There is no one big thing, no one reason that you can fix with your _heroics_!" the future speedster snapped with more abrupt, uncontrolled anger. He exhaled, the rage inexplicably draining away as quickly as it had appeared. "It happened, gradually." He sighed again.

“Why do you care so much?” Eobard asked. “This seems more than a little personal for you, Mr. Valentine.”

Farewell met his gaze. “Because I am…” he hesitated, closing his eyes and shaking his head slowly.

“What?” Barry pushed. "What are you?"

“I am...your son...is as accurate a description as I can give you.”

Several seconds passed in silence and rain drops.

Eobard felt like all of his senses had just shut down. “C...come again?” he rasped, the air sucked out of his chest.

Farewell shifted. “To clarify, I was...created from...both of your genetics. But I’m not even human, really. I am partially artificial...partially cyber. I'm probably more closely related to Gideon than either of you. Part artificial intelligence, maybe, though more...emotional. I was not grown like a clone, either… I was... _manufactured,_ printed atom by atom.” He exhaled, showing frustration. “It’s hard to explain. You’d just have to know the future's technology to know what I mean.”

“Not to sound...overly callous,” Eobard said, messing with his glove. “But why do you exist? _Who_ created you?”

“You did,” Farewell replied, face blank.

“I...I did?”

“Yes. You thought I could help you win the war. You called me your son, like I was just another human. It was a long time before I learned...what I really was… Funny plan, really, because once I learned everything, I refused to fight another fight. I...hated you both for a time...then I loved you both...and that was difficult... Then, the world ended, and I came here to kill you two - to end the end - after looking for other solutions.” He shook his head vigorously. "So, I have failed... What do you intend to do? Kill me? Imprison me? If you do, once I am created again, I will learn and accommodate for these changes when I reach this point in time again... You will fail... In fact, I imagine that the moment you end my life, he will appear and end yours. Every time, he will come to the same conclusions I did...”

"Why would I create you, knowing this?" Eobard asked. "All I have to do is make the conscious decision to not create you, then you can't run back."

Farewell snorted and gestured. "It's not that simple. In the future, you've already tried to stop my creation, but here's a weird thing - I've existed in every timeline so far at some point... I wasn't always created by you. Sometimes I was created by Barry. Sometimes by strangers...but I have always existed, a strange combination of cybernetics, your genetics and artificial intelligence and emotions. I am...abnormal. The Speed Force said I was always meant to be."

Eobard scowled and shook his head. Maybe his "son" was crazy. Maybe he'd scrambled his brain utterly by jumping back nearly four centuries. Maybe none of what he said had any truth in it.

“History repeats itself, it seems,” Barry muttered, “in more ways than one.” His hand vibrated.

The future speedster closed his eyes, not flinching. He seemed to expect death.

Eobard saw the Punch shatter, instead. "Barry!" He snapped. "What are you doing?! How can you believe any of this?"

Barry grabbed Eobard, pushing him away roughly. "Step back."

" _Excuse_ me?" Eobard glared at him, confused. What was he doing? He glanced at the Time Demon.

Farewell sat up. His eyes were open now, and he looked intrigued. "I see it... You understand. Future you never did... I proposed he kill himself to save the world, but he called me foolish for that. And I knew Thawne never cared, so I never bothered offering that idea to him."

"If it is the only option," Barry said, kneeling next to him, "then you have to do it. I won't let our war do _so_ much damage... But you have to promise to spare Eobard. Without me, this war ends. You don’t have to kill him, too."

"Barry!" Eobard snapped, "What _are_ you doing?"

"What I have to."

"No, you don't _have_ to." He was infuriated. "No one asked you to be a hero." What went unsaid was _I don't want you to be a hero. Not this time._

Time Demon searched Flash's gaze, eyes slightly narrowed in evident suspicion. "Fine," he agreed. "But if that fails to save this world, I will be back for him, too."

"Deal." Barry grabbed Farewell’s arm. "Come on, then. Get it over with. Kill me."

"Wait," Eobard snarled, stomping forward, glaring down at the future speedster...that he supposedly created. "If you touch him, I will kill _you_!"

"An empty threat," laughed the Time Demon without mirth, "as I will just be back for you, every time. My existence...even I don't understand it at times."

Eobard clenched his fists, feeling his face twist. He shook with emotion. "Barry, let me talk to you for...a _minute_!"

Barry looked at him, shaking his head. "I'm not letting you talk me out of this, Eo... If we are destined to be enemies again, then I want to die as I am...happy...in love...hopeful... I don't want to die hating you. I want to die your ally, your friend...your lover..." A grief-stricken expression appeared on his face, and his gaze lost focus as if looking over the last one hundred and fifty years. “And...it’ll be over...at long last... I won't have to suffer anymore for my mistakes...and I'll get to see the twins again…”

“...Barry...” Eobard felt a lump in his throat.

“I've lived long enough, I think…”

To Eobard's own shock, his vision blurred, his eyes burned. They filled with fluid. He wiped the tears quickly away, pointedly ignoring both Farewell’s surprised face and Barry’s blank one. His heart constricted. He thought it would shrink until he couldn't breath, until he couldn't see, until he died slowly in pain. Barry was about to sacrifice himself, and what could he do? Didn't Barry care about what this might do to _him?_

The future speedster looked back and forth between them, eyes narrowing.

Eobard tried again, casting out for _anything_ at all that would help. “How do we know he's not lying? What if he's just crazy?!”

“Why would he lie? And he doesn't sound insane to me..."

Right. Barry believed in the Speed Force, too, he recalled. When had superpower became a damned religion, anyway? he wondered with agitation.

Barry went on, "I can't take the risk that he isn't, anyway.” He glared at Eobard's “son”. "Do it, come on!"

“No,” Reverse said. "If you kill him, you have to kill me too, because I will positively destroy _everything_ with my own bare hands. I won't _need_ an army." He was furious, terrified. He didn't know what he could say, what he could do, to change this, to fix it. And he wanted - no, needed - to because this was his Barry, and he couldn’t let him die, not after everything. In his life, there had been those moments he hated of feeling helpless and powerless...but this moment couldn’t even compare to them... It was the worst of all - even worse than the fifteen years stuck in the past.

He felt as if the world would end now, here in 2182.

Farewell huffed. "You can't even agree on what to do here and now while there is a semblance of peace between you. How could you agree to end _the war_?"

Eobard silently agreed. He and Barry would never reach an agreement on this... But he did have a genius IQ, and he knew then, what he had to do. He'd always been great at finding a solution to even the most complex problems, whether it be getting stuck nearly two centuries in the past, or regaining everything he'd lost because of that. He could solve any problem, and he could end the war... He could save what was most precious to him.

_I cannot let this Barry - my Barry - die. Not for me._

_I have only one option._

He knew what he had to do. He just hoped he was strong enough.

Reverse Flash took a deep breath...

...and burst into the coldest laughter he could muster.

The other two speedsters looked at him, expressions confused.

His chest ached, but he let a smile twist his lips. “It’s funny, really,” he said calmly, lightly. It was impressive, really, his self-control. Maybe that was from the genetic augmentations. Or maybe it was from something deeper within, something he hadn't named yet. Maybe it was both.

“ _What?_ ” Barry asked with an incredulous, almost offended expression, brow furrowing. “What the hell is _so_ funny?”

_This is going to be difficult._

“What’s funny-” Eobard inhaled, “-is that you think I _ever_ cared about you. Here and now...or in the past.”

The words cut both of them like knives. Eobard saw it.

He _felt_ it.

He also felt the ache increasing, and it became harder with each passing second to keep the heartless smile in place, to mask the intense, dark emotions vibrating inside of him. How easy it would have been once. How there was a time that smirk would have appeared of its own accord, without effort. But this time, it felt like it weighed a million tons, like it would fall right off his face at the slightest failure to maintain it. His throat tightened.

“Eo?” Barry whispered in a broken breath.

“I’ve just been waiting, you know,” Eobard said, spreading his arms out in a mocking gesture. Each word he said next was a jagged shard of ice leaving him, ripping his heart to pieces. “I've been waiting until I grow bored with you...and then I’m going to destroy everything you love, Flash.” As he spoke, he allowed a cruel lilt to enter his voice. " _Everything_. Maybe I _will_ destroy this world, just to spite you."

The first thunder he'd heard all morning rumbled distantly in the sky.

“W-what?” Barry asked, “I-I don’t understand.” A smile flashed hesitantly across his lips, an expression that was part disbelief, part hope - hope that this was a twisted joke, perhaps? His expression fell apart to expose raw turmoil

_Much worse than a joke, unfortunately,_ Eobard thought to the tune of more thunder. The rain increased in intensity, pounding with utter ferocity. “What’s not to understand, _Flash_? I _hate_ you. I always have. Always will. What? You truly thought sex would change that? I mean, it _was_ good sex, but alas...even it doesn’t make up for what you did to me in that other timeline. I never forgave you for that, but it was _so_ easy to convince you that I had, because you wanted me to. Because, like the cliché you are, you wanted to see the _good_ in me. But there is _no_ good in me. I am a monster.” He laughed once more, harsh and grating. He thought he was choking instead, but by some small miracle, his eyes were dry...and he knew why. He could do _anything_ he had to - anything for his Barry. “Just look at the evidence - Time Demon still came after us, after all. And...I refuse to reciprocate your love.. The other night you yelled at me, said I was capable of _anything..._ You were right. Remember that it was _I_ who drove a butcher knife through your mother’s heart? And you don’t even want to know all the ways I hurt you in that other timeline...I tortured and experimented on you. On other speedsters, too. I killed _civilians -_ innocent men, women, and children.”

Barry blinked hard, swallowing. A shadow descended across his face. His breathing was ragged, shuddering. “B-but we...y-you... But...that was so long ago... You're different now... I trust you...I _love_ you, Eo... _You_ love _me_. Nobody has to _say_ _anything._ We've both shown it - countless times!”

"No. We haven't."

Barry's voice was _so_ helpless, though, and Eobard felt like he was dying inside. He could have collapsed from the force with which the angry, broken words assaulted him. He could have fell apart from the sound of a conviction shattering. Barry _didn’t_ trusted him, not truly. This proved it. But the Reverse Flash stood his ground, standing against the tide of misery, defiant. He found himself digging his heels against the concrete as if to ground himself, to steady himself. “How many times do I have to say it, Barry? _I don’t love you..._ And you don't _trust me_.” Somehow, saying that truth gave him the last boost he needed to do what he must. A part of him was still screaming - the part of him that was selfish and vain and narcissistic and had once wanted the Flash to love him unconditionally; this part of him was screaming,  _just what do you think is happening here, really? You really think I would betray you like this? You really think I would destroy you? All those perfect nights lying together, blissful and lost in each other’s eyes, laughing at something so unimportant as a dumb joke... You truly think they were nothing to me? Y_ _ou think I didn't smile when I saw those cat and dog videos in your search history? Was it lost on you, the connection between us, when I gripped your hand too tightly? Don't you remember that I asked you to dance with me at my sister's party?_

_Weren't you being honest when you said you knew I loved you, Barr?_

_Have I not shown you the truth?_

But the larger part of him, the part of him that had dreamed of being a hero once, was thankful - thankful that Barry didn't realize what was happening, that he couldn't stop Eobard from doing what he had to.

He blinked, eyes aching, throat tightening - the slightest falter, but he stamped it out. Every last ounce of willpower went into Eobard as he held the Flash’s gaze. His own vision went red, sizzling with blinding scarlet electricity. He blurred, the Speed Force flooding him with power. He laughed. He both loved and hated how his distorted voice sounded so demonic. Thunder growled above when he started speaking, and he increased his volume to be heard, _“and you_ knew _I never loved you. It was you’re own fault for loving me - for letting me get close enough to rip out your heart. And now you get to feel how it felt, when I was destroyed by that other you, left alone. Betrayed."_

Fate was such a bitch. But at least it would finally be over.

The war.

_“And now,”_ Eobard said, raising his voice even more until he was almost yelling, his moments of weakness gone, _“I’m going to kill you, Barr, slowly, painfully, intimately, and then I’ll finally be free of you - physically, emotionally, mentally - and free of this...future abomination I supposedly created. And just so we’re clear - I’m going to destroy this city and everyone in it afterward. You will never rest in peace, because you will have failed, in every way you swore you wouldn’t."_

The ground shook from the force of thunder.

_“I win this war, Flash. For good.”_

_Nothing lasts forever,_ flitted through his mind - a lyric of a brutally honest song he'd heard once in the twenty first century, _for all good things it's true..._

Barry’s eyes glistened with tears, and the agony there couldn’t have been more obvious if Reverse Flash had torn open his rib cage, if he'd sliced open his heart with a phasing hand.

Eobard Thawne wasn’t a religious man, but sometimes he believed in fate - and he _knew_ his soul had just been condemned to a special kind of hell for all of eternity. It didn't matter that it wasn't an _actual_ eternity, though, because he would burn until his final moments from the pain he’d just inflicted on his Barry. That was his fate - had always been his fate - to suffer from the very beginning for sins not yet committed, to be tortured for something he didn’t want to do, but had to.

_Come on. Move, Eobard._

He lunged forward.

_I’m sorry,_ he wanted to say as he took first one running step, then the next. He phased a hand, reaching for Barry. He knew his Barry wasn’t going to resist. Eobard knew him too well, knew him better than he knew himself.

A terrible shock of agony flooded his nervous system. He shuddered, coughing, instantly tasting hot blood. His vision darkened for a moment, and when he refocused, he was dangling above the ground, staring down at the pavement where water was gathering.

_His_ Barry, here and now, wouldn’t fight back at this point. But the speedster known as Time Demon would. Farewell Valentine had shown a strange mixture of raw emotion and cool logic - not unlike himself. In a burst of rage, Farewell could easily kill.

_Just like myself..._

Maybe he had the Wynter-Purity gene, too, Eobard thought. Like Father, like Son - the old adage proved true.

“I knew it,” the future speedster spat with rage next to him, “you're a _monster_ …and I should never have trusted you. Or loved you. You miscalculated, Eobard Thawne, thinking this betrayal would let you win. Instead, your hubris is your demise - as it should be. You created me, after all.”

_I don’t miscalculate. This went exactly as I planned. Barry is safe from you,_ he wanted to growl back, but he couldn’t speak. It hurt too much to even try. He couldn’t even explain himself to his Barry, the way he _really_ wanted to in that moment.

Fate was most unkind, indeed.

He felt the cold rain running across his skin, and he had the sudden urge to see the sun again, to feel its warmth one last time. He wanted to feel the heat of summertime, to hear birds in the trees, to hear insects in the grass. He wanted one last perfect moment, maybe on a picnic blanket with his Barry Allen beside him. Silly, really. He knew such a thing was impossible. 

Thunder sounded, softer this time, further away.

He had been certain for so long that he would die today. But some part of him - the part of him that was still the man he’d once been before becoming a speedster - had pictured a fairytale-esque ending. One in which, even though he died, he’d jump the Great Divide looking into his Barry’s loving, faithful, beautiful eyes, and that would somehow liberate him at last from all the lingering agony and hatred from his fucked-over life.

But he wouldn’t even get that much. He would go into the black void wearing a shackle of regret.

He wasn’t surprised. He’d been fate’s whipping boy since the first day he became a speedster, its slave, its toy - and fate was a sadistic master that had loved to torture him so sweetly right up until the very, bitter end. If he were honest with himself, he’d seen this coming since the very beginning, since he’d first decided to be the Reverse Flash. Villains didn’t get to live happily ever after. They met messy ends and gained nothing for their sacrifices. Why should his demise be any different? Why should it be gentle or forgiving or redeeming?

Villains didn’t get redemption - just suffering and death.

_I..._

_I love you, Barry._

_I’m sorry I never said it._

_I_ _was too afraid._

_I should have told you it all the time...and now..._

_I don't get that chance..._

_I’m sorry I had to be your villain in the end._

_But it turned out for the best. You are my Barry. I created you. And you will live on. I gave you a future when I stranded myself in the past. A future you hadn’t had. It’s enough. I did win the war, in the end. I saved you. I saved the Flash - the Flash of my childhood dreams, the man I fell in love with. I saved you, Barry Allen. And if I could speak now, I would tell you how much you mean to me. How beautiful and wonderful you are. How you are the best thing I’ve ever known. How I would give anything to change this cycle of hatred and animosity we can’t seem to escape from - to erase all the darkness weighing down on us._

But he couldn’t speak with the huge claws from the futuristic suit ripping through his lungs and airway.

Besides the pain, he felt strange, like he was empty, like he was a husk, a shell, with nothing left internally.

He realized there was no pulse inside of him. His heart no longer beat.

The water on the ground below was thickening, turning deep red with his own blood. He would die soon. With what little energy he had left, he forced himself to move, forced his muscles to respond. He dragged his eyes up, to see _his_ Barry having fallen to his knees, arms hanging limply at his sides. Tears now flowed without hesitation over his mask, getting lost in the rain there. His chest heaved as he gasped in cold air, breath fogging. Eobard loathed the misery there.

_Don't cry, my love._

They stared at each other.

Eobard lifted a hand, reaching out.

How the gesture was perceived, he couldn’t begin to guess. Did Barry think it was one last futile attempt to reach out and kill him? Or did he realize it was the closest Eobard could come to an apology in that moment? He hoped that Barry would say he forgave him. But the man he’d loved all his life said nothing at all, just looked at him, eyes haunted; he didn't know...and perhaps he never would. Still, Eobard prayed to nothing and everything Barry would one day understand...understand that he’d done this for him.

Eobard wished he didn’t have to die with the horrible image of Barry in so much agony stuck in his mind.

His muscles went limp, and the world faded to black.

* * *

Time Demon's claws vanished. Eobard's body thudded to the ground, pale and unmoving. The wound in his chest was hard to look at. It was gaping, spilling blood, and Barry could see the white of bone and the red of shredded muscle tissue underneath. He could see twisted, revolting damage that no body should ever sustain.

He felt sick, but he couldn't look away.

Farewell turned from him, taking a few steps forward. He inhaled shakily. “T-that was...difficult... But the world is safe now,” he muttered, looking up at the gray clouds pouring endlessly.

“Don’t...you...care?” Barry whispered in a constricted voice between gasps of air. “He created you... You said you loved him - that you were his son.”

“Centuries ago, that sentiment was true, but...I remember a betrayal more harsh than this one. I have waited so long to see an end to Thawne’s empire...and now I have… My only concern was the war destroying this world of ours... And now, it can’t. That is all that matters.” He hesitated, turning to stare at Barry. "I'm...glad I didn't have to kill _you_ , too. I'm glad he showed his true colors..."

Barry looked away, struggling against the tide of emotions wanting to burst forth. “What...will you...do...now?”

“Once the new timeline catches up with me, I will no longer exist. Not this version of me, that is. Another version of me will be created, of course...but I have someone I need to see before then. Goodbye, Flash.” Farewell put his mask back on and vanished in a burst of speed and golden lightning.

Frozen, Barry stared at Eobard’s form on the ground. The rain just kept pouring and pouring around and on him, on the still body, mixing with the blood draining from the Reverse’s body. More tears flooded his eyes, and he shut them against the torrent of pain. He didn't want to have to feel this again. Not again. Never again. _How do I manage to lose everything that matters?_ He wondered. It really had to be his true superpower. He and his Reverse were so connected, that it felt like half of him had just been ripped out and trampled into nothingness. He couldn’t believe Eobard Thawne was _gone._

_No._

_I can’t._

_I can’t lose this._

He hadn't been able to save the twins.

Or Iris.

Or his parents.

Or Joe West.

But he _could_ save Eobard.

Maybe.

Probably not, but he had to try.

The nagging thought that if he did succeed in saving Eobard, then the Time Demon would just return and Eobard would just hate him again struck him harshly, but he shook it all away. He knew that the only way he moved forward from this moment was if he clung to the small shred of hope he had left. He'd deal with everything else when he had to.

He forced himself to move. He gathered the limp body of his Reverse into his arms and raced back inside STAR Labs.

He gently laid Eobard on the hospital bed in the med bay.

“Gideon,” he whispered, throat itching, feeling tears falling. “Status.”

“Eobard Thawne: clinically deceased. However, I detect low levels of brain activity, like those seen in a vegetative or coma patient...but less than five percent. No pulse detected. Over ninety percent organ failure. Entire ribcage has been shattered as well as part of his clavicle and esophagus. Heart and lungs shredded. No circulation or respiration... I can find no traces of Speed Force in his system, Mr. Allen. Speed regeneration has failed.”

Barry swallowed. He straightened himself and raised his hands. Generating electricity by vibrating them, he slammed them down. He flooded Eobard with electricity and Speed Force.

“Even...if you never forgive me, Eo,” he whispered.

He brought his hands down once again.

“Even if you do still hate me.”

Again.

“Even if you kill me, or Time Demon returns to finish the job...”

Again.

“Even if...there is no happy ending.”

_Again._

“I won’t lose you, ever. I won’t let you die! I’ll die for you, if that’s what you want!”

Empty silence greeted him.

“Gideon. Status.”

“Eobard Thawne: ...clinically deceased.”

He squeezed his eyes shut and roared, as if that could expel all the emotions in his chest that were strangling him. He slammed his fists down once more, flooding the limp body with more power. He slumped forward, exhausted, lying over Eobard, tears falling.

“Gideon,” he grunted.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Allen... No changes detected.”

Barry shifted and pressed his face to Eobard’s chest, the metallic scent of blood strong in his nose now. He didn’t care. He just wanted his Reverse back. He just wanted to be in his arms. He wanted to kiss him. He wanted to laugh with him. He wanted to run at his side. He wanted to do _everything_ with him again. He curled his hands into fists, gripping the bed, and broke into stronger sobs. “Don’t...go, Eo... _please_. We didn’t get to have a life together... It’s not fair. It’s...not…” He choked. “Please... _don’t leave._ ”

He remembered the pain of Iris’s death, of her drawing her last breaths in his arms. But this was even worse. With Iris, he’d gotten to live nearly eighty long years with her at his side, and though losing her had been so hard, he’d had both of his children there with him when the light had left her eyes. And she’d been peaceful, content in her last moments.

Eobard - _Eo,_ he corrected, because he still loved him, still adored him, no matter what had happened out there with Farewell Valentine - had died in agony, still hating him for the pain inflicted on him by another version of the Flash in another time and place. And this time, Barry had no one to comfort him, no one to lean on in his weakness... This time, he’d barely had his Reverse as a lover for a brief couple of weeks - not even that. Only the last few days had really made them feel like an actual, loving couple - like when Eobard had rushed to his defense with Darkstar and again with the metahuman that had shapeshifted into a bull-

He stiffened with realization.

_He protected me._

Eo hadn’t been trying to betray him out there. Eo had been trying to save him.

Eo had been right; Barry hadn't trusted him, not completely in the way he'd thought.

Today had proved it.

Regret smashed into him, regret knowing Eo must've died - maybe not hating him - but thinking Barry would never forgive him.

This couldn’t be any worse, any more unfair...

Gideon’s voice spoke in his ears, but he couldn’t hear it.

_“Please.”_

“Mr. Allen…”

How did he manage to screw up so much? he wondered again. No wonder his original timeline self had been such an asshole. Who wouldn’t be fucked up after so many losses? So why wasn't he? Maybe he would be, after this. After all, it'd been Eobard that had saved him from that in the first place, and with him gone-

He whimpered, _“Please…”_ He didn't want any of this. "I'm sorry I didn't trust you...just please come back to me."

_Eo..._

“Mr. Allen.”

Barry sniffled. He heard a noise - multiple noises, in fact, one right after the other.

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep._

His heart jumped into his throat. “Gideon? What is that?” he choked, needing it confirmed.

“Heartbeat detected. Resuscitation successful. Eobard Thawne: alive." Barry felt Eobard’s chest rise with a shallow inhalation. He gave a choked laugh of pure relief, shaking with how strong that feeling was. His heart pounded as Gideon continued, "Speed Force regeneration active. Pulmonary system circulation and respiration regained and regulated. Skeleton, musculature, and skin tissue are healing at a rate of one hundred percent.”

Giddy, Barry shifted back. He saw, through the ripped up suit, that the wound _was_ regenerating. He also noted Eobard's blood staining his own suit's white emblem in dark red. He'd worry about that later, though - Eo was more important.

“However,” Gideon continued in a low voice, “his brain activity shows that he remains in a deep coma. Levels are thirty percent, now, but show no sign of increasing... I...cannot determine if he will awaken, Mr. Allen.”

“He will,” Barry growled, gripping Eobard's hand. “He has to. What are his Speed Force levels?”

“One hundred percent. However...I...encourage you not to try and predetermine the outcome of his condition. All of his wounds are healed enough that he should awaken... But I can find no indication that he will...”

That information sank in.

Barry burst into more sobs, throwing himself forward and clinging to the form of his lover beneath him.

“Wake up, Eo... _please wake up..._ I will never mistrust you again. That's a promise.”

Realizing that his pleas weren't going to help anything, he reluctantly pulled back and stood. He hooked Eobard up to an IV. "I'll get some blood bags, too..." he decided aloud when he looked at the amount of red on the bed sheet. There was a lot more outside, too, he knew. "He's lost a lot of blood. What is his blood type, Gideon?"

"AB Negative, Mr. Allen."

"Alright," Barry replied. With determination, he raced out of the room.

* * *

~~~~Reversed~~~~

* * *

Because this chapter isn't long enough (and you haven't cried enough), here is some more crummy pencil art! (Sorry. I suck at drawing stuff. T-T)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you may have noticed, I don't follow canon time travel rules much... Mostly because they're nonsensical and don't really have any rules, anyway. So, as far as I'm concerned - time travel is fair game for creative license in fanfiction.
> 
> And this chapter was super depressing...
> 
> Anyway, share your tears with me!!! I've edited this so much I kind of desensitized myself along the way, so I hope the emotion still came through alright.


	45. So Far Away

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just one chapter left to go (and it's the epilogue, so this _is_ technically the final chapter of this fic. Technically.)... I think I'm going to miss working on this story. T-T And yet, I'm also eager to finish, because this is like the first multichapter fic I've ever finished-finished. I know some of you said you're going to miss reading it, too (sorry, but all stories must come to a conclusion).  
>  But, the good news is that I intend to write more Eobarry! :D I may even finish up the prequel I've typed on a bit here and there. Or a sequel. Guess we'll see.
> 
> Also, the title of this chapter was inspired by a song. That song is called So Far Away by Avenged Sevenfold. You should totally check it out if you've never heard it before. :) It's so sad but beautiful.

Eobard heard the birds twittering, the wind rustling through leaves. He inhaled, taking in fresh air. It was comforting. 

He noticed warmth down the side of his body - warmth that only came from having someone pressed against him. He fluttered his eyes open and squinted at bright sunlight intruding on his irises. He let his vision adjust to the lighting before looking down, observing the arm draped over his chest. With a slow inhale, he turned his head to see the Flash, his hero, his idol, his god, just mere inches away, his lips so invitingly close. He seemed to be sleeping, eyes closed, chest rising and falling with slow, deep breaths.

Eobard blinked hard, his thoughts foggy.

Something seemed... _wrong_.

Wasn’t it fall? Wasn’t it raining cold, unforgiving torrents of water? He looked around again. Right now, it had to be the height of summer, the air thick, heavy, and warm, the trees deep green and thick with leaves. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky, as far as he could see, and small cottonwood seeds floated above him in the golden light like warm snow. The breeze was heavily tinted with the scent of greenery and mud. A few bees and butterflies buzzed and fluttered in the tall grasses that surrounded the blanket he lay on.

It was then he realized he recognized this place, this scene.

His heart leapt.

_No._

_It can’t be._

He remembered this moment from one of those rare moments the original Flash had shown a softer side to his character. It had been one of those times that had helped feed Eobard’s illusions and fantasy that the hero had loved him. He recalled a day they’d lain down together, relaxing in peacefulness as they waited for anything to happen - if anything was going to happen at all.

He began to sit up, his heart rate increasing as panic threatened to take ahold of him. He couldn't be here. He couldn't.

The arm on him tightened. Eobard froze, his breath hitching with alarm.

He dragged his attention to the other man, meeting the piercing gaze locked on him. He almost wanted to flinch. Almost.

“Flash,” he breathed.

Beautiful eyes blinked back. “Fanboy.”

“Don’t call me that!” Eobard spat, glaring. Before he even knew what he was doing, he struck out with his phasing hands, ready to rip this abomination to shreds so he could find his real Barry.

There was a blur of impossibly fast movement.

In an instant, his arms were pinned, and the hero was leaning over him, holding him down. "Stop it, Eobard," he said, voice commanding.

"Let go of me!" Eobard spat. He twisted, trying to push free, but all of his limbs were trapped. He couldn't get purchase to dislodge the other, and for some reason, he couldn't phase loose, either. “Who are you?! You’re not _my_ Barry,” he growled, his anger growing. He struggled harder. “ _Why_ am I here? Are you _him_? You can’t be! He doesn’t exist!”

Flash's grip tightened on his arms. “Does he not?”

“What?” Eobard grew still with uncertainty. He scowled harder in confusion.

“What do you remember?”

"What are you talking about?"

"Just think. What do you remember?" Flash repeated, tone steady and firm.

Eobard forced himself to recall.

He flinched. “I...I...died... Farewell killed me...didn’t he?”

“He did not. _Y_ _our_ Barry - as you call him - saved your life. Your heart still beats.”

“I...don’t understand? Why would he save me? I broke his heart. I betrayed him.”

“He didn’t care that you had betrayed him. He couldn’t let you die,” Original Flash explained. “He loves you - unconditionally.”

Eobard swallowed, regret lumping in his throat for what he'd done to his Barry. “If...I’m alive...then what is this? Where am I? Who are _you_?”

An eyebrow raised, finally revealing a hint of emotion. “Do you truly not know?”

Eobard looked around once again, taking in the peaceful place but not understanding it. It seemed so real, however - “Is...is this a hallucination?” He finally asked, refocusing on the man's gaze.

The Original Flash snorted. “It is not. Unless that is what you wish to believe... No. We are here because while you _are_ still _alive,_ you are not _awake_.”

“We?” Eobard asked. He gave a sardonic laugh. “What, are you an angel of death?” He asked mockingly. “Is this one of those fabled near-death experiences?” Of course he’d be cursed with such an illusion before he got to fade away forever. Why couldn’t fate just kill him already and be done with his torture? Didn't it ever get as tired of this game as he did?

Apparently, it was the Original Flash’s turn to laugh. He chuckled. “Alas, no. At least, not in the way you understand such an...experience... We live in you. In Barry. In every speedster that has ever existed, and ever will. We have been since the beginning...and will exist until the end.”

“What?” Eobard frowned. “That doesn't... You live in every speedster... Wait...are...” He shook his head. “You’re saying you’re the Speed Force?”

“Don’t you recognize the source of your own power?”

Sure.

Why not?

He was currently pinned by and speaking with the source of his powers which had manifested as the Flash he hated.

Yeah, right.

And he was king of England.

It seemed this was a hallucination, after all - which was disappointing, to say the least. Maybe Farewell Valentine had seen something similar. Eobard shook his head again. Not only was he dying, but his death was very likely because a future speedster had gone bat-shit crazy. No destiny. No logic. No reason. Just typical unfair chaos had become his demise. The Reverse Flash sighed. “Why do you...look like _him_ , then?” He indulged the hallucination, deciding to play along for now. He didn't have anything better to do. “And how could I be speaking with...my _powers_?” He challenged the illusion to come up with a reasonable answer.

“We are alive," responded the Original Flash promptly. "Well, maybe not in a sense as you understand life. We are alive by the definition of our sentience; we are _aware_ and capable of _understanding_ and _compiling_ information - just as you are. And that is how we converse now... As to why we look like the Flash that you first loved...well, it is to prove a point.”

Eobard gave another disbelieving, half-mocking laugh. Oh, it was good, this hallucination. Intriguing, really. “Oh, okay. And what point would that be?”

“That the reason you are here now is because you couldn’t let go of the pain the Flash inflicted on you. Because of this, the one you dubbed Time Demon was lead to believe that you were his enemy, and he felt the need to kill you, which left you here...with us.”

“So you’ll let me return to Barry?” Eobard asked. It couldn’t hurt to try, right? Bitterness seeped into his heart, and he felt inclined to add, “I need to ask him to forgive me.”

“He is not the one who needs to forgive, Eobard. Farewell Valentine ran through the timeline because he was searching for a solution to a problem _your_ hatred caused - your hatred of this Flash you see before you. This distrust you feel is what lead your Barry to distrust you in return... The only way you survive this, is to let go of that. If you cannot, you will remain forever - as every speedster returns to us for eternity, when his or her time comes to do so.”

“I...” Eobard was at a loss for words. If this was a hallucination, wouldn’t it have let up by now? He felt the first moment of doubt. So far, there weren’t any inconsistencies, like the kind he imagined he’d encounter in a false reality. He frowned in thought.

The hands on his arms loosened, and the Flash's weight shifted off of him, letting Eobard sit up. Free now, the Reverse Flash didn't strike, just sat still, not sure what to do. Flash gazed at him with serious eyes. Eobard shrugged hard. “I don’t know how,” he admitted. “Everything that has happened since he...left me...was because of that feeling...me, running back in time, changing Barry...changing myself... And now-” He quit speaking. What was the point? How did he give up something he’d grown so used to having apart of his heart for so long?

The Original Flash, seeming to understand what Eobard was trying to say, replied, “every moment, every place, and every feeling has its purpose to serve…but you have to understand that there also comes a time to let those things go...”

Eobard pressed his forehead to his hands, not wanting to look at this Flash any longer. Something dark and ugly wanted to respond to his presence, wanted to harm and possibly do worse than just harm - however unrealistic that was at the moment. “I...can’t... I don’t know how...” If he were being honest, he didn’t really even want to stop hating the old Flash. Hating the old Flash was easy. It was his reason, his justification, for _everything_ he'd done as Reverse Flash.

But stronger than the desire to keep hating the old Flash was the desire to have his own Flash - his Barry - back, regardless of this one or not.

Not that it seemed to matter now.

He inhaled. "I can't forgive him."

“Then you will remain with us.”

* * *

Barry hadn't moved from Eo’s bedside for even a moment. He didn’t want to. He was frozen, and it felt as if time had stopped.

But it hadn’t.

The steady thrum of heavy rain and the too-slow beeping of the heart monitor told him otherwise.

He was awake and alive while the ones he cared about weren't, as usual. He was living, heart rapidly beating in the center of his being, and he was separated from the man he loved by time. Just hours ago, they'd held each other. Now, it was likely he would never get to do that again. What they'd had together had been taken away so fast. He wasn't even sure if he was whiplashed or not from the speed of it. But he'd always been good with speed. Unfeelingly, he ran a hand through his hair, eyes sore and face sticky from the crying he'd done. He was done with the tears but numbness remained, shock.

He’d done all he could for Eo's condition, so all he had left to do was sit and wait, sit and wait, sit and wait, sit and wait...

And hope for a miracle.

He retreated into his mind, replaying the cherished, but too-few memories he’d shared with Eo - the good ones that weren’t tainted with their former hatred, intimate and full of softness that a once-murderer shouldn't have been capable of.

_Why? Why didn't I see that you were sacrificing yourself?  I could've saved you if I hadn't been such an idiot... I'm sorry..._

“I love you,” he whispered.

He wanted Eo to say it back.

* * *

“He didn’t want to hurt you, you know,” the Speed Force said. It had taken the form of Aubriena Thawne in a golden dress that blew gently in the summer wind. She sat on a tree overhanging the river. She was younger than when Eobard had last seen her in life, and she was very beautiful. “The original Flash.”

“So he said,” Eobard muttered back, plucking the grass around the blanket idly.

“He truly believed it was best for both of you if he let go of you. He was afraid you would only keep killing - that it would break you. He believed he couldn't help...as he was also broken.”

“Ironic,” Eobard snorted, irritated, "since _he_ broke me.”

“And you let him...”

“I _rebuilt_ myself.”

“Yes…you rebuilt yourself into a kiler.”

It wasn’t a lie.

"I _embraced_ what I was. It was more logical than denying it." Eobard gritted his teeth. This conversation of talking in circles was pointless. If this...hallucination or Speed Force or whatever it was was going to keep him here, it could at least have the decency to not ramble on about the man he hated most while looking like his dead mother. Great. “Why do you even care?” He snapped.

“We live through the speedsters we inhabit. It is a symbiotic existence. If every speedster were to perish, we wouldn’t exist. Your collective conscience gives us sentience… We try to heal all who return to us...unless they cannot. Then, they become like the Time Wraiths - like the Black Flash.”

“Of course you’re doing this for yourself.”

“We do it for you _and_ us - for all speedsters. All of us are connected and depend on one another... We simply gave you a reason so you could understand.”

“I don’t understand _any_ of this,” Eobard replied, tossing grass through the air. He folded his arms, bored and morose. His heart ached. He already missed Barry so much. He wanted to kiss him and hold him close. He wanted to be with him instead of here in this hallucination.

Then again, maybe Barry had been right.

Maybe the Time Demon had been right.

Maybe the Speed Force _was_ alive…

Maybe there _was_ an afterlife in it…

If so, would that be so bad?

Still, without Barry, what was the point of an afterlife? 

He couldn't exist without his reverse, after all.

* * *

_Beep._

_Beep._

_Beep._

_Beep._

“Mr. Allen, I am inclined to encourage you to do something that is both distracting and enjoyable. Might you read a holobook?”

“I can’t, Gideon. I can’t...”

* * *

“Why do you care about the timeline?” Eobard asked the Speed Force. It’d now taken the form of a woman he didn’t recognize. She had dark auburn hair and a kind but energetic expression. He vaguely thought she looked like Nora Allen, but this woman was too young, too narrow in the face to be her.

“Our...existence is dangerous to those affected by us. We try to protect the timeline from misguided actions, to ensure the speedsters do not destroy themselves..."

Eobard could think of nothing else meaningless to ask. He’d expected this all to fade away by now, for him to actually _die_. Apparently, he wasn’t going to get that lucky. He was going to be stuck in this place without Barry, possibly forever. He met the unknown woman's gaze, contemplating. There was another pain in his chest, an old one that was buried underneath his longing for his own Barry. He had to know something...even if this Speed Force - whether an illusion or not - had no answers for him...or no desired answers, anyway.

He inhaled. “Did..." He hesitated, the words dying away. He tried again, "Did...that other Flash... Did he..." He inhaled, exhaled, and pushed on. "Did he ever feel anything for me? At all? Did he love me in _any_ way?”

Her expression shifted, but Eobard couldn't read it. He wasn't sure if it would mean anything even if he could. This was the Speed Force. The Speed Force didn't have facial expressions. She closed her eyes and said, “As we understand the concept of love...we know that Barry Allen has always loved Eobard Thawne.”

That wasn't what he expected. Eobard felt confused now. “What? That doesn’t answer my question.”

“Does it not?”

He stared. The answer didn’t make sense. Barry Allen hated Eobard Thawne more often than he did not. Orginal Flash had even been indifferent to him at times. He rolled his eyes. Forget it. This was probably all fake. He shouldn't get his hopes up now. “How would you even know this, anyway?”

“We are connected to all of you...in more ways than you can possibly comprehend.”

Eobard frowned. “So, just who are you trying to be this time, anyway?”

“Wake up and find out.”

* * *

Barry knew that Eobard might be out for hours. Days. Weeks. Months. Years...

Maybe forever.

Still, he did not move from where he sat, hands under his chin, eyes flicking between Eobard and the monitor on his vitals.

“Gideon," he murmured, "play the first log from the Flash entries”

“I'm not sure that is wise-”

“Please, I just need to hear his voice.”

“Yes, Mr. Allen. Selected. Log entry 1.”

“Is this recording? Ah, yes. So it is.” Eobard's voice sounded younger, somehow. It was lighter, more enthusiastic, maybe even cheerful - _so_ different than that other log - different, even, than the cynical man he'd grown to love. “Things are looking up after...these last few tortured weeks. I can begin the project, the project to become like the Flash. I can’t even imagine what it will be like if it is successful. But I'm getting way too ahead of myself. This is simply an idea right now... But it is a plausible idea. I think I'm getting chills, heh...

"Taelor says I am intelligent, that my mind is brilliant. He says I can make a difference. And he's right. I can. With the Flash... With his speed...I'd be able to do anything... I'd be able to make the difference that Tae says I can. Finally, my life will have meaning. Finally, I will have purpose. I won't be forgotten by history... I won't be _no one_.

"I'm going to be a _hero_."

Barry ran a hand through his hair. A part of him wished he could have known _that_ Eo, that lighter, happier man, who hadn't been turned into a murderer. If his heart didn't hurt so much, he might have stopped there, but he couldn't. The log had been soothing as it played, but gone, the pain was exacerbated now - like an alleviating ice pack removed from an unhealed burn.

He needed more. "Keep playing them, Gideon."

"...Yes, Mr. Allen."

* * *

Fine.

So it seemed this _was_ the Speed Force. Eobard didn't think his brain would pull this level of a hallucination on him. Besides, it would have faded by now...because he'd be dead.

It seemed Farewell hadn't been crazy.

It seemed Barry's belief in a Speed Force afterlife had been justified.

He'd have to make a point to study this place more - if he ever got free of it. It was strange. He'd been a speedster for decades. How hadn't he known of this before now? Maybe it was just a near-death thing. He wasn't exactly the kind of person who put himself in unnecessary danger, even when opposing the Flash. He'd probably never been this close to his demise before.

Eobard shook his head at the Speed Force. “I don’t know how to...forgive that Flash. He...doesn't deserve it. I forgave this one, though. Why isn’t it enough? He isn't _that_ man.”

“ _Did_ you forgive him?”

“What do you mean?”

“You say you can't forgive the Flash...yet you claim you did. Which one is it?”

“I said, I forgave _this one_.” Eobard hadn't been given the impression that the Speed Force was an idiot until now.

Apparently, the Speed Force felt the same about him. “That is silly. They are the same person. They just lived different circumstances. To truly forgive one, you must forgive the other. It is this forced distinguishing that makes you unable to forgive.”

* * *

"Gideon, play a log from the new timeline, please."

Eobard’s voice filled the room once more. “Sometimes it’s still hard to believe I made it. It's been five months, and it's always a joy to wake up here - home. I will never make such a time jump again... Sometimes I still have dreams of rolling around on that damnable wheelchair. I’ve never had so many cricks in my back before then. It’s not healthy for a man to sit around all day long like that when his legs work fine...

"Regardless, I finally understand.

"I finally understand why the Flash is monster. He was once a hero - a good one. However, over time, that faded, until he clung to the remnants of it as the last bit of honor he could find. But, he failed to do even that.... He’s not a hero. Not anymore. No one can live through the test of time and still remain noble, it seems. Mr. Allen is no different... And what I learned - all those experiments, all the tests, all the fights...and it took becoming trapped in the past to really see inside the mind of Barry Allen.

"An interesting subject, for sure.

"But I will kill him. Nothing is forgiven…”

Barry leaned forward and gripped Eobard’s limp hand, linking their fingers. “But you did forgive me, Eo…”

* * *

Eobard sat on the blanket, the Original Flash looking at him.

He ruminated on the strange sentence, _Barry Allen has always loved Eobard Thawne..._

It didn't seem possible...yet, it did. After all, one could only really hate someone as deeply as they'd hated each other if love was a precedence.

Love - so fragile, so easily twisted to become something grotesque and vile and unforgiving.

“What you said," Eobard started, "about Barry Allen always loving Eobard Thawne... You meant _him_ , too?"

He recalled those rare moments the Flash had looked upon him so tenderly. They hadn’t been imagined. Those rare moments the Flash had lay a hand upon him with gentleness, fingertips lighter than feathers. Those weren’t an illusion. Those rare moments the Flash had brushed their lips together with airy softness. Those were real. Those rare moments the Flash had pulled Eobard into his lap and murmured, “Fanboy," tinged with adoration. Those had been true.

Eobard shook his head, meeting the gaze of the man the Speed Force had manifested as. The Original Flash smiled, and it was the same pure, beautiful curl of his own Barry's lips, not the sardonic one of the original hero. The Flash spoke to him, "he would have loved you just as much as you loved him, if he could. He didn't know how, though. He'd forgotten, living alone so long in a life that was dark and cruel to him... He was broken... He cared for you the only way he could...even when he did not want to. Even when he refused to believe he did.

"He _was_ Barry Allen."

His tone suggested that explained everything.

And maybe it did. Maybe even a twisted Barry couldn't help but love. Maybe it was too engrained in him as a person, no matter what he experienced or became capable of. Maybe some things never did change.

Eobard curled into himself as if folding in would let him dodge the truth of this matter. He drew his knees up, wrapping his arms around them and hiding his face there, seeking sanctuary, seeking safety. Something burned inside, something angry and crying and _longing_. He just wanted to get away from it, and at the same time, he wanted to use it to destroy everything that dared to even look at him wrong. He muttered, and if it hadn't been the Speed Force he was conversing with, he was sure he'd never have been heard, “I...and that is why he pushed me away. He knew how dangerous it was...but he didn’t know it was too late to escape.”

“You understand now.”

It wasn’t a question.

“I do,” Eobard replied, heart clenching. “I hated...no...I still hate you because instead of embracing me in my weakest moment and telling me you loved me too, you ran from me...because you saw a monster.”

Eobard sensed the Original Flash leaning closer, his presence scalding. He couldn't bring himself to look up. The deep voice murmured, “I ran from you...because I was afraid to love another, after suffering so much loss. It was easier to villify you than it was to face that you were one more thing I could lose.”

In that moment, he believed this was the Original Flash speaking to him.

If this _was_ the Speed Force, and all speedsters were connected by it...and maybe if time and space didn't matter here...then just maybe... Maybe that was possible.

Eobard drew a shuddering breath, his eyes burning. He closed them, even though he couldn't see anything. He just wanted to drown all of this out. He wanted to bury it again. It was easier left in the dark shadows where it'd stayed for so long. He didn't want to face the truth, and he sure as hell didn't want to forgive. “I hate you so much for it.”

“I know.”

“And yet you denied.”

“I felt there was no longer a choice... _Your_ Barry could have been the same, too. He _is_ the same man, as much as you want to think otherwise.”

No.

His Barry was a Barry with beautiful smiles and puppy dog eyes and warm humor. His Barry had a heart of gold, and too much forgiving goodness for his own sake.

And yet...

Yes.

It was true.

There was another side of him.

A Barry...that hadn't been his - could never be his...a Barry with a frozen heart and black thoughts. A Barry that hurt and had hurt in turn because of it. A Barry that had given up on good because it was too risky, too hard, too impossible, too complicated.

As much as Eobard hated to admit it, he knew this Barry _could_ be that Barry, if he were put through the right circumstances. Whatever he had changed in the timeline had changed what had originally altered Flash...but a similar thing could still happen in the future. Barry could still become like _him -_ like the Original Flash.

He reconciled the man he adored and loved so much...

...with the one he'd loathed for most of his life.

Original Flash.

His Flash.

One and the same.

It devastated him.

Eobard felt the tears, felt them burning in his eyes. His throat tightened. Everything ached, _so_ painful... “It hurts.” He curled tighter, clenching his eyes more as if that could physically stop the tears from falling down his face. Why did it hurt so much?

“Truth is not painless. Accepting it, though, is much like cauterizing a wound - you can't heal without the burning agony first... And you can't forgive without accepting.”

Strong hands gripped him and pulled him from his isolation into a warm embrace. Arms wrapped tightly around him in a way that suggested they'd never let go. Eobard wanted to yank back, but he was too weak. He surrendered to an instinct, to a need to be held and comforted. He pressed his face against the Original Flash's chest and cried for the first time in a long time - true tears expelling bottled-up pain and anguish, tears that burned and flowed without hesitation. The pain caused him to believe that his heart had physically shattered.

“That's it, Eo... Experience it all. Running away and hiding from it is what got you into this mess in the first place, so embrace it. Let out the pain.... _Forgive_..." The Flash rested his chin on Eobard's head. "I am your Barry, Eobard. I am your Flash, Fanboy.”

It _was_ the Original Flash.

And somehow, Eobard felt one hundred percent secure for the first time in a long time.

So he cried with abandon.

* * *

“Gideon, play the most recent log.”

“Yes, Mr. Allen..."

“The wonders of Barry Allen never cease to amaze me. It seems like it shouldn’t be possible, with our...history... Yet, there is...so much in me that wants to be by his side for the rest of time. I can’t get enough of the way he looks at me, the way he smiles...the way he moves, talks, breathes. Everything about him... It's almost like the time I first got my speed, and everything was so bright and wonderful and exciting... Except this is so much better, because this Barry is better.

"I hope...I hope he is right, and that we defeat Time Demon together.

"I want our future. I want to know what it’s like to be with Barry Allen...for real, this time.”

* * *

Eobard didn't know how long he cried.

But eventually, he stopped.

He slumped in the arms of his hero, eyes sore, but the pain _inside_ had lessened. As he lay there, he couldn't stop thinking that this was how that moment following his first murder should have happened. Flash should have held him, should have comforted him, should have promised to help him overcome his demons as any true hero would have. Instead, he'd made a mistake. He'd left Eobard because that had been the only decision a Barry as broken as him could make. That moment had been the fork in the road where both paths that lead from it were those of no return.

And that Barry had chosen to forsake love.

Maybe if he hadn't... Maybe everything that'd followed could have been avoided. But it couldn't have. It'd been destiny. And what was done, was done.

“But it...wasn’t fake,” Eobard gasped in the embrace of his hero, shifting for more comfort. A hand massaged the back of his neck soothingly. “It was...real...and you lied. Because you wanted to protect us both.”

“Yes...”

Barry had lied to himself in that timeline, as Eobard had lied to himself in this one.

They both had loved each other...in their own ways - in both timelines...in _every_ timeline.

“Hah,” he exclaimed in disbelief at this truth, “reversed. Now that's irony.” He laughed some more and more, and to his shock, it was _real_ laughter, easy and full of something unrestrained. His chest heaved and his shoulders shook and he _laughed even more_. He loved the way it felt.

Eobard sat up when the laughter faded and caught his breath. He rubbed his face, wiping away lingering tears, and looked the Flash in the eye. Somehow, someway, he felt that wound deep inside healing, as if it were a physical one exposed to a speedster’s regenerative capabilities. He felt all the negativity evaporating. The sun had just been let in. The shadows faded. The ice thawed. His heart was burning with an intensity he hadn't felt in a long time as his walls tore down and burst apart with sheer freedom - a freedom he thought he'd never experience again.

It almost felt like the first time he'd ever tapped into the Speed Force - the first time he'd ran at inhuman speeds - amazing, incredible, euphoric.

Perfect.

The only other time he'd felt like this was from kissing Barry.

And now...

He felt that feeling, even without a kiss.

It was so liberating, this feeling.

Eobard knew a million words would never be enough. Still, he had to say the only thing he could in that moment- “Flash... I forgive you.”

The Flash’s lips morphed into a smile, one that seemed to somehow hold an infinite amount of emotions and knowledge. It was the Speed Force again. "We know," it said, "we always knew you could."

* * *

Barry sat in silence. He stared at nothing.

It was then he noticed that something was different, something had changed.

It took him a moment to realize what that change was. His eyes jumped to the heart monitor. The beeping from it was increasing in rhythm and tempo, the spikes occurring faster and faster.

_Beep. Beep. Beep, beep, beep, beep-beep-beep-beep._

He felt his own heartrate also increase. “Gideon-” he started, leaning forward.

Eobard’s eyes fluttered open. He groaned.

Euphoria flooded Barry. He gave a hoarse laugh, leaping from the chair. “Eo!” He exclaimed and supersped to the bedside, even though it was a mere two steps from the chair. "Oh, Eo, thank everything in the multiverse! I thought I would lose you, and I couldn't, I just couldn't..." He threw himself onto the other speedster, hugging him before leaning up and kissing him.

He pulled up. He realized then his face was beginning to hurt from the permanent smile stuck there.

Eobard focused on him slowly, blinking.

"Why would you do that?" Barry demanded, relief giving way to even more intense emotions. "I mean, I know why, but _why?_ How could you just sacrifice yourself? I know why - you're a good person - but I just - I just- What would I have done if-?"

Eobard’s arms wrapped around him, crushing the air from him. Eo buried his face against his neck. “I’m sorry,” he said in a constricted voice. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I hurt you, Barr.” His fingers dug in, and he held on like Barry was a lifeline. "But I had to. I would do _anything_ for you. _Anything_."

“Eo-” Barry's eyes filled with tears.

Eobard was face-to-face with him in an instant, hands on his cheeks. “I love you, Barry. I love you so much.”

Barry felt the tears fall. “I love you too.”

" _Nunc scio quit sit amor. Te amo,_ " Eobard whispered, eyes glistening. His voice cracked. " _Te valde amo ac semper amabo..._ I love you." Eobard's molecules vibrated so intensely, they burned, but Barry knew he felt the same. It was passion and love and protectiveness and so much more they were feeling. It was the special connection they had - had always had, and so much more. “I don’t care what Time Demon thinks… I realized I _do_ love you, so much, now and forever...”  His eyes overflowed. "I'll fight forever for this."

Eobard slammed their lips together, pulling Barry tighter to him, nearly dragging him onto the bed. Barry was sure he'd never kissed quite like this before. This was somehow unrestrained, passionate, needy, loving and tender all at once.

When he finally ended the kiss what felt like several minutes later, Barry murmured against his lips, “I did tell you so.”

“You did,” Eobard replied, framing his face in his hands again as if Barry was the most precious thing in all the world. Barry's heart soared. “But I just wouldn’t listen.” He hugged Barry again, laughing almost hysterically. “And I’m sorry I was stubborn-”

“-To put it mildly-”

“To put it mildly,” Eobard echoed in agreement, chuckling with sheer, free joy - also a new expression of emotion from him. “I just...love you. I love you more than I’ve ever loved anyone or anything. I want to touch you, Barry, all of you. I want to feel you, oh how I want to feel you - to just be in your presence and be yours and yours alone for the rest of our lives, forever...” The way he spoke those words, he almost sounded exactly like the man from that first log entry.

“I know,” Barry whispered in his ear. “And you know I feel the same. That I love you more than I could ever express.”

Eobard showed no sign of letting go of him, and Barry loved it. He didn't want this moment to end. He didn't want to leave Eo's arms. 

Eo said, under his breath, _“Barry Allen has always loved Eobard Thawne…”_

“What was that?” Barry asked.

“Just...something I learned.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

Eobard kissed him again. Time froze again, but this time it was with actual Speed Force and happiness - not helpless misery. “You know, Time Demon hasn’t come back.”

Barry felt his eyes widen. "Whoa... That means..." he trailed off suggestively, letting a playful grin appear on his face.

"Yes, I know," Eobard replied, the first hint of a frown touching his lips since he'd awakened. "Don't say it. You are so going to ruin this perfectly perfect moment."

"I'm going to say it. I have to!" Barry exclaimed. "You prevented the war by saying-"

“-Barry-"

"-'I love you'-... I told you! You saved us by admitting that you _were_ wrong."

"Actually, there's...a bit more to it than that," Eobard replied, but his eyes brightened. "And I do mean it, down to the very core of my being, Barry."

"I believe you. I always have believed it..." Barry's hand found his hair, running his fingers through it adoringly. "Looks like we have a future at last."

"I couldn’t have asked for more.” Eobard took a deep breath, putting a hand under Barry's chin. He started speaking oddly, and with a jolt, Barry realized he recognized what he was saying - "When I’m safe, you're free. When I’m calm, you’re wild. When I’m sane, you’re crazed. When I stay, you’ll go. When I’m lost, you’ll pull me through. When I’m stranded in the stars, you’ll soar above the Earth. We’re reversed...but I’ll always run after you and bring you back to me, Barry. This is the true end of the war."

Barry smiled, feeling too small for all the emotions thrumming through his being with each pulse of his heart in that moment. He whispered, “you really did bring me back to you, didn't you, Eo?"

“I guess running after you finally paid off," Eobard replied just as softly. "I love you, Barry Allen, and I'll never tire of saying it."

"I love you too, Eo."

Barry burrowed his face against Eobard's chest, right above the emblem of his torn, bloodied suit, and they stayed like that until long after the rain had stopped pounding on the roof, long after limbs had gone numb from a lack of movement, long after whispers of sweet nothingness had faded into silence. Finally, Barry pushed onto the small, cramped bed with him, somehow shoving into the space with all the authority the hero of Central City should have. Eobard accommodated him, holding the Flash tightly in his arms.

They drifted to sleep together, contented by the promise of tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Latin translations-  
>  _"Nunc scio quit sit amor. Te amo. Te valde amo ac semper amabo... "_ \- Now I know what love is. I love you. I love you very much and I will always love you...
> 
> I hope that's accurate. :\


	46. Epilogue: I Love You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eobard and Barry finally have the harmony they wanted so badly.
> 
> It's liberating.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seeing as this is the final chappy, I threw in a little bonus smut to send this story out with some sweetness. :) I was originally considering it as a one shot, but decided to incorporate it into the fic. If you aren't interested in it, just skip to the first line break.  
> Besides the smut, there's some loose threads that get tied up afterward. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy the lengthy, mostly feels-good epilogue! :D

Their bed was softer than Eobard remembered. Perhaps he was taking it less for granted now. Or maybe it was because he loved - yes, _loved_ \- Barry, loved having him under his hands on _their_ mattress. The hero’s bare skin tingled with electricity, warm and addicting to the touch. Eobard couldn't fathom ever growing tired of feeling it. Emotions burned in his chest, almost like an ache, but the sensations were ones he enjoyed and wanted more of. His hands roved across Barry's shoulders, dipping down the small of his back, steadily massaging at the knots and curves. Eobard pressured a particularly large knot out, listening to the other exhale happily in response.

"So, the Speed Force-" Barry faltered when Eobard pressed into a sensitive spot in his back, a small groan of satisfaction leaving his lips. He tried again, "-the Speed Force _made_ you forgive me? Well, the other me, I mean?" He chuckled.

"It makes less sense when described in words," Eobard replied, flexing his hands into another bunch of muscles. "You would've had to have been there." He applied more pressure.

"Aaaahh," Barry responded in utter bliss, a sigh escaping him. "That's _good..._ " He shifted with a small hum, leaning into the Reverse's hands. "But I know what you mean - about the Speed Force, that is. I've been there. Multiple times. It never gets less trippy."

Eobard chortled at his lover's assessment. It wasn't really that far off, though. He vibrated his hands, massaging under his shoulder blades now with unbroken, circular motions.

"Mmmm." Barry sighed again, head shifting against the pillow. "You should just...become a professional therapist. You're...really good at this."

"You think I want to touch other people?" Eobard asked, digging his fingers in again, still vibrating them. "Because the answer to that is 'no'."

"Uuuuhhh-nuh, s'pose not," Barry responded, voice dropping in tone. "Of course, you realize I mean non-sexually, right? I mean-"

Eobard seized his shoulder and arm, flipping him onto his side. Barry craned his head to look at him with mild surprise. Eobard leaned down. "Sexually or not," he murmured in his ear, "your body is the only one I want to lay hands on." He kissed him, nibbling at his lips. It was a slow kiss, the kind that involved slight pauses with smiles and nipping lips without weight, the kind that neither of them wanted to leave. Eobard traced his neck when it ended.

"And there you go again, making me feel so special," Barry whispered, smiling. "You're definitely still a romantic at heart, Eo."

Eobard didn't try to deny it. And in truth, he was grateful for this small merciful truth about himself. It meant he was closer to the man he'd been before becoming a monster, closer than he'd ever been before. Even that nickname he'd once loathed, _Eo_ , was starting to grow on him, as often as it escaped Barry's perfect lips. It sounded nice to his ears now, like an endearment.

Yearning seized him. "May I make love to you tonight, Barry Allen?" he whispered, stroking the Flash's arm with reverence. He kissed the smooth skin of his shoulder and looked up, the knuckle of one finger still gently caressing his forearm.

"Yes." Barry's eyes became half-lidded. "Please do."

"I want it to be like we've never done before," Eobard whispered, feeling an intensity fill him, a cross between excitement and need. "I want it to be love and passion and truth and nothing else. I want it to be like I envisioned it when I was...younger. When I envisioned being in love with the Flash. When I envisioned the Flash being in love with me. I want us to come together slowly and steadily. I want us to experience the most beautiful and intense orgasms we've ever had together - the kind you only get when you really _love_ someone with all your being, that you would do anything for them." Eobard hadn't felt such a level of devotion to his hero since before his innocence had been lost.

"And you called _me_ a hopeless romantic. Look at you now. I was right." Barry kissed him again, deepening it this time. Pulling back, he murmured, "I would like - no, _love_ \- that." He blinked. "You're all healed up, though, right?" He checked.

Eobard raised his brows. "Of course I am. That was _hours_ ago, Barry."

"I know, but it was a pretty bad hit - and Time Demon has stopped your regeneration before - so I just want to be completely sure before you do anything strenuous. No lingering pains or anything like that, right?

Barry was worried about him. That was more adorable than Eobard had previously admitted to himself. "No pain, Barry. I'm definitely healed, but-" Eobard stole a quick  kiss, "-there _is_ one thing I need to do before we get started."

"Oh? And what would that be?"

"You'll see. Just don't look until I say so, alright?"

The other's expression became questioning. "Okay...?" He closed his eyes.

Eobard supersped off the bed. He raced through STAR Labs, collecting the things he'd gathered while Barry had slumbered earlier. He'd woken first in the medical bay a few hours ago and had decided to use that time to prepare a surprise for the man he loved. He focused on turning up all of his stashes he'd hidden in various places. Once he was done, he raced back into the room with the various things, hoping Barry wouldn't use the Speed Force to "peek".

He finished up and dusted his hands together. "You may look, now." He turned back to the Flash to find him staring. Eobard puffed up a little with sudden pride at his wonderstruck expression.

"Eo..." he breathed.

"Do you like it?" Eobard asked, smirking. He was confident he would receive no other answer but yes. "I know you do."

The room had been almost completely altered in the few moments he'd stolen in superspeed. The light had been dimmed to a more comfortable level, and the dull, white curtains on the window had been replaced with a deep, rich, red set, letting in the faintest glowing of setting sunlight and turning it pure scarlet. The walls were adorned with a few steadily burning candles, most of them having gone out in the wind that Eobard had generated while racing about. A dozen vases of roses were scattered here and there and countless petals of the same flower blanketed the floor. There was the scent of combined flowers and ozone, too sweet and fresh for its own good. Gentle, utterly relaxing music filled the room and completed the scene.

Eobard relit the candles that'd been extinguished, much to Barry's amusement. The Flash laughed. "Wow, Eo, you're really great, you know that?" Eobard turned to him, noting that his eyes became hooded again. "I love this, I love you. You've never been so hot."

That was the response Eobard had wanted. Elated, he turned back to the bed, stripping away his clothes. Barry was already half-bare from the massage, and Eobard climbed onto the bed with him, pulling away his remaining garments. "Lay on your stomach," Eobard whispered.

Barry complied.

"Relax, Barr." Eobard traced his hips, kneading them for a few minutes. He encouraged them up a few inches from the bed. The Flash made a soft noise. The Reverse spent several more long moments at the massage before he pulled back. He spat on his hand. He reached under Barry and seized him. The man let out a throaty groan. Eobard worked on unwinding Barry with one hand while his other returned to massaging his back, applying pressure and rubbing the skin and muscles under it. Barry let out a second groan, his body giving a small, delighted shudder.

Eobard took in the whole, wonderful form under him, enjoying _everything_ about the Flash for the first time in such a long time. This was perfect.

He pulled off of the other, drawing both hands back. "Roll over," he said.

Barry obeyed, eyes dark with longing as he gazed up at his reverse.

Eobard felt an electrifying rush in his chest, especially when his eyes dropped lower for a moment before snapping back to Barry's. He wanted to lunge onto him wildly and bring him to a screaming climax, but he restrained the sudden impulse. No, he was making love tonight, _not_ fucking. He supposed it would take some time yet to become someone less bellicose and assertive. It was okay, though. He had control of himself.

He leaned down and kissed Barry. Eobard kept their facial contact gentle and soothing, guiding the speedster into the more benevolent side of their love. Regardless, their breathing elevated, and the quick, shallow breaths of air shared between their noses was both exhilarating and romantic. Eobard lowered his mouth to the other’s collarbone, then moved down the line of his body, kissing his chest all the way to his stomach. Barry’s muscles convulsed under his lips, causing even more warmth to bloom in his chest, and his hero let out small, appreciative sounds.

"Oh, Eo..."

He went lower and Barry shivered.

Eobard ran his fingers through the other’s fine, pale hair here, unable to deny how much he admired it. Tracing the softness, Eobard's mouth travelled over the bone under his flank, down his thigh, to the inside of it. He looked up, taking in the sight of Barry sprawled before him, all of him on display, completely receptive and comfortable like this. He trusted Eobard.

He loved him.

Eobard placed a gentle kiss on the other’s erection, earning a satisfied sigh in response.

“You’re so majestic,” Eobard murmured against it, “so beautiful.”

The Flash shuddered and moaned.

He always did love a compliment.

Eobard placed a few more kisses upon him before settling himself fully and comfortably on the bed between Barry's legs. He wrapped his fingers around his length again, all too happy for another sound out of this man.

He placed his mouth to the tip.

“Oh-damn,” Barry hissed. Electricity danced down his frame, jolting Reverse Flash.

Eobard shook, the frequency and energy buzzing through his veins. It was intoxicating.

He let his tongue slide against velvety skin before he closed his mouth around the other just enough. He ran his tongue back and forth, listening to the sounds of Barry being unraveled under his attention with great rapture. He grew less coherent, himself, passion quickly becoming more lustful than loving. He wasn’t quite ready to move on, though. He was thoroughly enjoying pleasuring his hero, the vibrations, the lightning of the Speed Force shared between them.

With only a split second consideration, he sank down all the way.

The Flash gasped sharply and bucked, back arching. Eobard coughed and yanked up, the discomfort jerking him back down to Earth. He sucked in a breath, throat raw.

“S-sorry,” Barry murmured, sounding embarrassed. Eobard, through watering eyes, saw his fingers curl into the sheets, the bedding folding up where it was pulled out of shape. “I didn’t mean to do that. It just felt so good...”

“It’s okay, Barry,” Eobard murmured against his length, his tone rough, “I want you to lose control...” The discomfort faded quickly in the wake of his healing factor.

“Won’t be long now...if you keep up like this...” Barry murmured, sounding a little choked himself. Eobard wondered if it was his own voice that’d done that to the other.

The thought sent a blaze of fervor straight through his core. He grunted and took the other back into his mouth, past his throat, determined. The Flash managed to contain himself this time, but Eobard was certain he had control of his reflex now, too, even if the other hadn’t. He pulled up and dipped down, moving in a rhythm on the other. Barry gripped the sheets harder, body curving once more but with less suddenness this time. His thighs shifted, and Eobard felt even more electricity surging across his skin from the man he currently held.

He increased his speed, eyeing the Flash through his lashes.

Barry met his gaze.

Eobard vibrated his mouth and neck.

The Flash gasped and shuddered, chest heaving, his body generating far more electricity now. His flawless skin shimmered with sweat and light. He pulsed in Eobard’s mouth, small vibrations of Speed Force running up his form. His panting turned into repeated moans, and his outline blurred.

Eobard knew he was close.

He pulled away.

“Oh, fuck,” Barry hissed, sharply exhaling at the abrupt cut-off, outline becoming clear again. “Damn it, you’re so evil, Thawne…denying me like that...” He dropped his head back, body still shivering with pleasure.

Eobard seized the lube and worked a few drops of it into his own entrance for a few moments, using his other hand to stroke Barry’s thigh gently. Barry eyed him hungrily. It was hard to concentrate under that gaze.

Reverse lowered his hand and shifted towards the Flash.

“You sure you’re ready?” Barry asked, eyebrows rising.

“I’m fine,” Eobard murmured. “Stay still,” he added when Barry started to move. He pushed him back against the bed and crawled up the lean body beneath him. Reverse Flash raised his thighs more and lined up with his erection. He pressed onto the Flash, slow and gentle. A small gasp left Barry's mouth. Eobard sucked in an inhale, ignoring the burning pain he was given from the man’s girth. He pushed down fully, gritting his teeth, much to the Flash's delight. His eyes went wide and he let out a sweet, sweet noise. Eobard looked down at him, locking onto his wide gaze. He chuckled a little. Apparently, Barry hadn’t expected this.

“Is this comfortable?” He murmured, adjusting his hips.

Barry nodded, expression morphing into one of ecstasy. “It’s perfect,” he murmured, eyelids fluttering. “But I should be asking _you_ that.”

"Never better." Eobard began to roll his hips gently, riding him. Barry responded after a moment, meeting his rhythm with steady thrusts.

He did learn quickly.

_Fuck_.

It felt exquisite, the way Barry rubbed and pulsed inside of him. Every ounce of his body and mind was responding all to happily. 

It was carnal, but romantic, too.

Already, this was very unlike any sex he’d ever had with Barry. He felt so relaxed, so perfectly safe. There was no need to be aggressive or fast right now. He was one with this man, and his entire being, instead of being on fire with insatiable lust, was blooming with never-ending warmth. The pain had already evaporated, replaced by undeniable gratification.

No, he wasn't having sex.

He was making love.

He'd never understood the difference until now.

“ _Te amo."_ Eobard groaned, throwing his head back with bliss. "I love you, Barry.” He couldn’t stop saying it. He knew it was probably getting old at this point, but he couldn’t help it. The overwhelming sensations in his chest made that the only sentence that came anywhere close to justifying the way he felt about this man.

But Barry never seemed to tire of hearing it. “Oh...I love you...too,” he whispered.

Eobard felt a tinge of warmth run through his being, and he shivered.

Love.

When he’d first found the Flash, he’d thought he’d known what love was...but he hadn’t. That’d been blind infatuation, unable to see any flaws. But Eobard had seen this Flash’s flaws, and they hadn’t diminished the way he felt, like before when he’d come face to face with a harsh, cold reality. This time, this timeline, he craved every ounce of Barry - the flaws, the imperfections, the idiosyncrasies along with the goodness, the heroics, the warmth of his heart - everything that made this Barry Allen his Barry Allen.

_His._

_In every timeline._

He groaned in pleasure at the thought.

He felt the other vibrate with Speed Force, and he did the same, entering a perception of slowed-down time.

“Damn,” Barry whispered again, “I...don’t even know...how to...respond...to this... You’re being so...gentle… Didn’t know it was possible...”

“Unbelievable, right?”

“Unbelievably perfect.” He shivered under Eobard. He then dug his elbows into the bed and pressed up against the Reverse. “Hold me,” he murmured. “Never let me go… Never let me be without you by my side...”

“I’ll never let you go again,” Eobard replied, knowing it as truth. “And you know it.”

“I know, but I wanted to hear you say it.”

Allen’s eyes closed. Eobard slowed to a halt and leaned down, kissing him, tracing his lips, his tongue, his mouth, going slow to once again memorize the sensation of it in every detail. Barry pressed back, increasing the intimacy there. Eobard hadn’t realize how long he’d lost himself into that kiss until the other was panting through his nose again. He pulled back, listening to the gasps Barry exhaled. He felt a curling sensation of pleasure through his body. He straightened and resumed his rolling motion. He found the urge to move his hips faster to better stimulate himself growing, but he ignored it and kept his leisurely pace. He wanted this to be steady, from start to finish.

Barry’s eyes opened, and Eobard found himself mesmerized by the gaze in the half-dim room. Neither said anything for several moments, but their eye-contact remained unbroken.

Eobard reached up, tracing his hands along the other speedster’s stomach, up his chest, to his shoulders. The Flash shivered at his touch, and it sent excitement racing through him. He followed the other’s arms down to his hands. He locked fingers with them.

Their fingers clenched together, almost too tightly.

“Oh,” Barry murmured, chest rising with an inhalation. He held the breath for a moment, then released it. “That felt way better than it had a right to.”

Eobard’s legs shifted further up his waist, gripping him. The contact between them was both relaxing and rousing. He could feel all of Barry's movements under his thighs, the shudders, the inhales and exhales, the slight contractions of various muscles at different times, the buzzing, the lightning.

“I could spend all night like this,” Barry murmured, sounding dazed.

“Mmm,” Eobard agreed. It was growing harder to speak. “I’m not...crushing the air...out of you...am I?” He managed, realizing his legs had tightened around the other.

“No. It’s good,” Barry replied. “Feels...good...in every way.”

“Yes it does,” Eobard groaned in pleasure. He realized he was losing himself quickly now. It wouldn’t be long now. He felt the way he was starting to tense, the way the relaxing pleasure was beginning to morph into a more intense need once again. Fighting it was becoming a chore, and they had to get their pay off at some point, right?

He released Barry’s hands and slid off of him. He almost regretted it when the delicious sensation inside vanished without Barry’s presence.

“Why are you stopping?” the Flash asked, a hint of irritation entering his tone. "Eobard,” he gasped, “I need...I need more... _Please._ I need to come...I need to...”

Apparently, this was becoming a bit too much for Barry, as well. “Don’t worry, my love, you will,” Eobard murmured.

It was amusing how desperate Barry could become, though. Sometimes, he could grow completely aggressive, though it was a little rare for him to lose control on that level. How odd. Barry in the other timeline was far more aggressive, and he was _always_ in control of their sexual encounters. Why was this so different? He wondered briefly before pushing such thoughts away.

There were more important matters to attend to.

Eobard leaned down and found his lips, taking his time with it. He lowered his face to Barry's neck where he pressed feathery kisses. He let a hint of teeth connect with skin. Barry twitched, and Eobard felt the way his _entire_ body responded to the nip. “Oh,” he exhaled. It was like Barry’s whole being became a raw nerve during sex, bothered by every sensation and touch upon it, matching intense feelings with uncontrolled reactions, gradually coming apart under his reverse’s determination.

But that sound Barry was making, a plaintive whimper for more... _Damn_ , he sounded so desperate. So vulnerable. So good.

Eobard basked in it.

Barry bit his lips. Hard.

Eobard winced, wondering if that was punishment for delaying their end goal yet again.

"I told you I wanted this slow," he muttered in defense.

"You didn't say slow _and torturous_ ," Barry rasped with a sharp grin that didn't quite reach his dark, hooded gaze. "Professor Thawne."

The Reverse Flash ground his groin down on Barry’s at the impetuous joy that rushed through him. It pulled the grin right off Barry's face, transforming his expression into the purest epitome of ardor. He ground back, searching for friction between their bodies. “Fuck. Fuck. So good.” He twisted. “I’m begging you. Please. Please. _More._ ”

Eobard wasn’t even sure how to _describe_ the feeling those words gave him. He opened his mouth to profess his love once again, but the only sound that came out of him was a completely incoherent cry. Logical thinking slid away and he moved quicker, vibrating faster on the other, almost unable to control his frequency. He felt a Speed Force induced high when the other did the same.

His mind went blank.

Their moans turned into shouts. Their emotions merged. Their bodies phased into one, synced in a way only two speedsters could be, physically and beyond. Their orgasms melded together in the Speed Force between them, magnifying in their shared unity, unbelievably powerful. Eobard rode each wave of potency, throwing his head back and screaming his love for Barry Allen at the ceiling.

Then, it was over.

The pleasure gradually faded over the course of several long seconds - which were minutes to a speedster - and a sensation of pure happiness was left behind in the afterglow. They separated. Eobard sighed and slumped onto the bed next to the other, not caring in the slightest the mess they’d just made. He chuckled breathlessly, feeling sweat on his body.

“Oh my god,” Barry said and turned to him. His voice was hoarse. “Oh my god, Eo, that was the best thing I’ve felt in such a long time. You definitely made love tonight.” He pressed his head to Eobard’s chest, seeking closeness now, as usual. “I love you so much.”

Eobard's own tone was rough, too. “Love you too.” He wondered if he would ever tire of saying it. He curled his arms around the other, dragging him closer. “I’ll never let you go, Barry. Ever.”

“That’s everything I want,” Barry said against him. He looked up then, brows raised just enough to change his expression to uncertainty. “Are you bothered by...the...um, mess?”

Eobard hesitated, not sure what answer the other was looking for. “Only if you are.”

“I don’t want to ruin this by moving to clean up,” Barry said, burrowing his face again. His next words were muffled. “I think we should stay like this for as long as possible.”

“Agreed.” Eobard pressed his face to the other’s hair, inhaling his scent deeply. He was too joyous that they had survived today, that they had survived to share this precious moment.

He felt so alive, and only Barry had ever made him feel this way.

“ _Te amo_ , Barry Allen. You're the only one who completes me.”

* * *

The two speedsters raced through Central City, lightning crackling around them, golden and crimson. Approximately two months had passed since the nexus, and Barry and Eobard had changed their respective suits to something slightly more matching not long after that battle to reflect their new harmony. There was more yellow in Barry's and more crimson in Eobard's, with more gold between them overall. 

"I can't believe I let you talk me into this," Eobard muttered.

"Neither can I," Flash replied.

They skidded to a halt, standing on a rostrum. There was a crowd before them with a few news drones hovering in the air. The group fell into silence upon noticing them, shocked. The winter wind blew, harsh and stinging now that Eobard wasn't running. Flash looked out over the people of Central City, and Eobard was impressed there wasn't a single ounce of uncertainty in his expression. Then again, Flash was used to standing before the city.

A woman stood at the podium on the stage, previously speaking into a microphone until their interruption. She turned, eyes widening. It did look rather comical to Eobard. He folded his fingers together behind his back, amused.

_Speechless. Everyone is utterly speechless._

_Good. They should be._

"If I may," Flash said to the woman, gesturing at the microphone.

She nodded without a word and backed up quickly.

Flash walked to the podium, bracing his hands on the stand. He took a deep breath.

"Central City," he said, "I stand here today to tell you...probably not what you want to hear, but that's all too often the case with the truth - as I have discovered."

Eobard folded his arms, wondering if the Flash had rehearsed this or if this was just off the top of his head.

Barry continued, "as I've been reminded countless times by critics and enemies alike - I am not a hero. And, from my perspective, I agree. Though, I suppose...it is ultimately up to you, as individuals to determine that. But for me, I'm just a man trying to do good with the gift he was given. But I mess up - a lot more than I feel like I have a right to - make mistakes, mistakes that show that I'm not perfect... A long time ago, I made a decision, a mistake - one I hadn't realized I'd made at the time... I provoked a war that went on for far too long. Mine and the Reverse Flash's. I've been hearing many questions. Why has he been helping me? What has happened? I'll now answer them." He sighed, glancing at Eobard.

Eobard nodded slightly.

"Suffice it to say," Barry continued, looking straight ahead again, "we both made an effort to end our quarrels...and somehow we succeeded. It wasn't easy. He changed...and so did I... You need not fear him now. I know many of you will have trouble believing this, but if your faith in me is strong, then trust me. Reverse Flash will never harm again."

Flash stepped back, shooting a quick smile at Eobard that was gone too fast for any normal human to perceive.

The woman from earlier stepped up, and Eobard realized then that she was the mayor. All shock had vanished from her expression to be replaced with stern confidence. She grabbed the mic. "That was a good speech, Flash," she said, "but I think I should say what is likely on everyone's mind at the moment. Perhaps Reverse Flash has, indeed, given up crime. The evidence over the last few months does indicate such..but none of us have forgotten their severity and that they demand consequences of equal weight. We must ask, will he not submit to a trial? Will he not prove to this city that he recognizes his actions as vile and heinous?"

Flash didn't flinch from her piercing gaze. "He'll answer that question."

The mayor stepped from the mic, seeming to be inviting Eobard to stand at the podium. The Reverse forced himself to walk forward, feeling the attention of every single person there fix upon him. It was almost unnerving, especially considering that he'd never been much for social activities of any degree. Being surrounded by people tended to make him feel suffocated, tended to put him on edge because he didn't trust them. Though this time was different. In spite of their numbers, Reverse Flash had his speed, and none of these people were a match for it. He wasn't surrounded, and the man he loved stood close by. He had no reason to feel on edge. 

He inhaled and looked out on the crowd of people, seeing a sea of faces - hundreds, thousands of them he didn't know, would never know. He didn't completely understand what this would accomplish. He knew how people were. They would want him burned for what he'd done, and truthfully, it didn't matter...not to him.

But maybe it did.

It was important where it did matter.

It mattered to Barry.

He noticed the silver cars glide up, halting at the edges of the crowd.

Police.

"I see that Central City's finest have already decided," Reverse Flash spoke into the microphone, finding his opening sentence with more ease than he'd expected. He saw more drones circling above them now. "But see, this isn't their choice - or yours. It's mine. But before I choose, I must say my piece." He saw the officers pushing through the crowd, but it was a terribly slow effort for them, with the amount of citizens blocking their progress. "I have done many terrible things. For that, I apologize to you people. It wasn’t personal. Some of you, I have probably hurt far more than an apology will be enough for, but that is all I have to give. For so long, I was nothing, a speck of dust that would soon be wiped away forever from memory and history...but then I got these powers. If the circumstances were different, I would be more than willing to submit to a trial, but I know what the outcome will be. The jury will decide for the removal of these powers - the one thing that made my life full and complete when nothing else did." He shook his head. "I cannot give up that. Yes. I am selfish, but so are many of you. If you had what I did, you wouldn't relinquish it to those who fear you... I am not self-sacrificing or self-righteous. I do not feel guilty as I perhaps should, but that is who I am. It's in my genes."

The police had finally reached the stage. "Don't move!" One of them yelled. Eobard recognized him, then, as the captain he'd confronted on the street when the Flash had been poisoned. He nearly rolled his eyes. Didn't the idiot learn anything from that day?

"The thing is," Reverse Flash continued, "you cannot catch me. Neither can the Flash. And all I have to offer is a promise. You will incur no more harm from me." He turned, racing away, speeding past the police, past the people, past the vehicles to the freedom of Central City's streets.

He paused before a holoscreen on the side of a building several blocks over, watching what ensued with curiosity. The police were shouting in annoyance with each other, but the live footage quickly focused on the podium where Barry and the mayor stood.

"Flash," she said over the mic with a disapproving scowl. "Even if his apology is sincere, we can't ignore justice. It would be _wrong_  to. Reverse Flash  _must_ be brought in for his numerous crimes." She stepped back, waiting for an answer.

Flash's lips twitched, as though fighting a small smile. It was gone in a blink of an eye. Solemn, he returned to the mic. "I apologize, as well. He’s right. Even if I wanted to, I've never been able to capture the Reverse Flash. And as long as he upholds his promise, to do no more harm, I will not even try. As I said, I'm not a hero. In my mind, I'm just a human whose DNA was altered, and as some of you put it - a reckless vigilante. Sometimes I take the law into my own hands, regardless of whether I should or not. But I accept my own consequences for such.

"I hope, in time, you'll forgive me for that - that you'll forgive Reverse Flash as I have."

Then, he too burst into a run, speeding out of there.

* * *

When they returned to STAR labs, there were two people in the cortex - Cisco and Caitlin. The metahuman was propped back casually in a chair, sucking on a lollipop, and the former doctor was typing at one of the terminals. Both looked up at the speedsters' arrival. 

Cisco pulled the lollipop from his mouth. "That was really something," he commented, tilting his head to the holoscreen that was displaying the news. The mayor was speaking.

"Yep," Flash said, closing the screen down, "it's the best answer I can give for what happened. I know it won't solve much, but maybe it'll make some people more lenient than they would have otherwise been."

"Eobard, you really are a selfish bastard." In spite of his words, his tone wasn't very damning. It was almost...playful?

Huh.

Eobard shrugged. "Could you give up being Vibe? Could you give up your powers? It'd be like letting them cut off your legs. But that's only half the reason. I do not wish to ruin my sister’s life. If it gets out a Thawne was the Reverse Flash this whole time…” He let that hang in the air.

Cisco nodded a little, seeming to understand. “ _Do_ you regret the things you've done?"

Eobard glanced at Barry, then back at the other. "I don't suffer for it, personally. I do wish the war hadn't happened, but I have moved on. Perhaps I should be angry at myself, or feel nothing other than a sense that I am a terrible person, but I don't. I feel great, to be honest - free. I'm not angry anymore."

Caitlin asked, "how do you do it? I still feel horrible for being Killer Frost."

"You won't like the answer...but just accept it. Acceptance is powerful. Embrace the fact that you were a killer. Then, embrace the fact that you are no longer onr. And forgiveness. You'll have to find a way to forgive yourself, Caitlin. It was likely easier for me, seeing as I don't have conscious, but it'll get easier with time. I promise."

She nodded, a glint of determination filling her eyes. "I'll try."

Cisco sighed. "Alright, Eobard."

Eobard raised an eyebrow. "Alright what?"

"I'll forgive you. Don't make me regret it."

Eobard felt his breath vanish with shock. The feeling was quickly replaced with warmth. He remembered how much Cisco had loathed him...and now, the man he'd seen as a son in the twenty-first century...had forgiven him. For all he'd done. That was really something. "I won't," he promised, hoping all of his heart was heard in the answer.

"You better not," Cisco replied. Then, a smile grew on his face. "Oh, I just remembered something I've been meaning to ask for awhile now. Now that you aren't all murdery and villainous and stuff - are you going to change your codename, or is it still going to be Reverse Flash?"

_Interesting_. "Don't take this the wrong way, Cisco, but in my mind, there will always be a part of me that is the Reverse Flash. It was my identity for so long, and nothing will change that. Still..." Eobard felt a smile creep onto his face. "I actually was thinking... Maybe I should at least take a new codename for the public, to help prove my intentions..." He paused, raising his hands. "I'm partial to -  _Professor Zoom_."

Cisco chuckled, but then suddenly frowned. "It's catchy, sure, but if you want to prove your good intentions, do you _really_  think it's a good idea to take another psychopathic killer's name? Zoom?"

Eobard frowned for a moment, before he recalled what Cisco was talking about. Yes. Zoom. A rather minor and pathetic villain from the early twenty-first century. He'd forgotten about him. "Technically, I had the name first," he defended, "and it's not actually the exact same. Besides, Zoom is all but consigned to oblivion at this point. He was only around very briefly, and from what I've heard, he wasn't very impressive. I doubt Central City remembers him."

Cisco looked skeptical. "What are you talking about you had that name first? Zoom was before your time, and you've never used that name before."

"Right... Actually, I have used it before. Sort of." Eobard smiled. "In the original timeline, that is. In fact, _you_ were the one who gave me the name Professor Zoom. I didn't have a codename before that." Just _Fanboy_ , he thought a bit drearily. He was sure that was one secret he would never divulge with anyone.

"Okay, you've made your case," Cisco said with a grin. "And it was a good one."

"Professor Zoom. I like it," Caitlin offered supportively. "Even if a psychopath once used the name, I think someone should do some good with it, regardless if it's remembered or not. Otherwise, it'll just be a symbol of darkness forever lost in history. In fact, remember that Jay took his helmet and made it into a symbol of good? What's left of Zoom's legacy - if anything - deserves to be used for good."

Eobard gestured with finality at her. "And another good point to add to my many."

"Alright, Eobard," Cisco said, "you can be Professor Zoom. I approve that name. It seems I will always be a genius at naming, even in other timelines... Hey, is that why you chose me to help with the particle accelerator?"

Eobard gave an impish smirk. "Maybe," he replied.

Vibe snorted.

“Alright,” Barry said, clapping Eobard's shoulder. “Professor Zoom, there’s someone I want you to meet.” The new name coming from Barry's lips for the first time sent a thrill through Eobard.

His grin widened. “Oh? And who would that be?”

"She's a really nice woman who makes incredible cookies. Come on, I'll introduce you. I've been meaning to do this for awhile, but we've been so busy with everything, from working on STAR Labs, to my job, to being superheroes in the middle of it all..." He shrugged, a sheepish look on his face.

Eobard wondered why he seemed embarrassed by the delay in this introduction and who this mysterious woman could be. It seemed he would find out soon enough. "Well, let's not waste anymore time then."

"We'll just be waiting here, then," Cisco said with a wave of his hand. "Gypsy's coming over later. We're all going to hang out again. I've got reservations at the theater - and it'll be really like old times. We're going to see Star Wars episode sixty-five."

"Awesome," Barry called before speeding out.

Eobard followed.

* * *

Barry strolled down the walkway to the rather charming, old-fashioned house framed in various décor of every color in the rainbow. Eobard kept stride with him. He soon found himself watching as Flash knocked on the door, breath pluming in the air. It seemed his hand had barely left the polished wood when it flew open, and a young woman answered. “Barry!” She exclaimed, throwing her arms around him without warning, hugging him tightly.

“Hey, there,” he said back, returning the embrace.

Eobard frowned, uncertain. Discomfort filled his chest. He wasn't sure he liked this level of contact he was witnessing, though at this point, he was surely being unreasonable. Barry could have touchy friends...right? 

Touchy friends he didn't introduce to Eobard sooner?

He didn't like the feeling that thought gave him, though it made him realize that he wasn't used to seeing Barry being this close with other people.

She held on just a little too long. “It’s great to see you!” She pulled back. Auburn hair flowed around her face, and her eyes were bright and excited. There was something vaguely familiar about her, too. “I’ve been getting your messages...but it’s been nearly two _months_ since you’ve stopped by in person! Why did you not tell me about Time Demon and the nexus sooner, and I saw on the news about-”

Barry cleared his throat.

Strange. She knew about Barry being the Flash...and about the nexus. Did she know all of Barry's secrets?

_Why?_

She stopped, then looked at Eobard, seeming to notice him for the first time. He tried not to be annoyed. “Hi! You must be Eobard. Eobard Thawne.” She shook his hand without him even offering it. “I get ahead of myself sometimes. It’s so good to finally meet you! Nice hair! Is that your genetic color or is has it been altered?!”

Barry had evidently told her about _him_ , already. So why had he not told Eobard about _her_. He raised a brow, finally finding his voice. "It’s...genetic...but I’m afraid you have me at a disadvantage here. Who are you, exactly?”

“What? ...Did Barry not...?”

Barry muttered, “I didn’t tell him about you before now.”

Eobard felt a wrench in his gut, afraid that-

No.

Barry wasn't like _that_. He'd even said so explicitly, himself.

But what else could explain-?

“Oh,” she said, expression clearing. “Oh, okay… Well, in that case, I’m Radiance! Or, I prefer being called Radia, but whatever suits you. Can I call you Eo? Barry says that's your nickname.”

_Oh_.

It clicked. It wasn't the one thing, but it was definitely _another_. The original discomfort was replaced with different kind. He stared at her, a tight feeling knotting in his chest. He was too agitated with this new understanding to even berate his silly, unreasonable first impression of the woman. “What...did you say your name was...?”

“Radiance… _Radiance_ …” she narrowed her eyes. “But please, Radia’s good.”

“Radia?”

“Yes!” She looked exasperated, like she were talking to a child. “I’m Barry’s-”

“Granddaughter,” he interrupted.

Barry shot Eobard a weird look. “How did you-?”

“Yep!" She nodded with a huge smile. It vanished and her brows furrowed. "Wait...I thought Barry didn’t tell you…? I’m so confused?” She hesitated for the first time. “Okay, I admit, I sometimes get ahead of myself. My brain is pretty fast, part of the genes from being related to a speedster, but I can’t move or do things as fast as one, and… Oh, you’ve got that look on your face that Barry gets sometimes. That ‘I just remembered something really bad’ look. Did I remind you of something...or _someone_ maybe?”

“Sorry,” he apologized, stomach lurching. “I’m just...something just… I just thought of something." He turned, striding off the porch.

“I’ve got cookies whenever you’re done thinking of something,” hollered the cheery voice after him.

He marched down the walkway, pausing at the end of it. He closed his eyes and steadied himself, struggling to believe what he’d seen.

“What’s wrong with you? You've been acting really weird,” Barry accused, jerking the Reverse from his thoughts. He was standing next to him. “How did you know she was my granddaughter? More of your stalking?”

"No, actually... Not this time." Eobard sighed, the knot growing uncomfortably. “I...didn’t want to have this conversation here and now, but if I wait...it’ll just be harder. And more awkward... You trust me, so I should show you that trust is not misplaced.”

“What’s wrong?” Barry asked, voice softening as if he realized something was bothering his lover.

Eobard swallowed. “I never told you much about the time I went to the future in the original timeline and met myself there, did I?”

“No, you didn’t.”

"I jumped ahead about twenty years, then. When I arrived, my future self was being chased by you. He threw you off his tail, then...he came to me.”

Barry was silent now, listening intently.

Eobard inhaled, struggling to push words he didn't want to speak out. “He told me to watch...then he waited for you to catch up...only... He let you win...to show me... To show...” He looked away, fighting down a sudden barrage of feelings striking his heart.

“Show you what?” Barry breathed.

This was difficult, indeed. "To show what you really were…”

Eobard could feel the Flash staring at him. "What? What are you talking about?"

For a long moment, he couldn't speak. He felt the chilled wind biting at him, and his eyes were glued to the metallic sidewalk.

“Eobard…”

“You..." He inhaled.

"I... what?"

He was just going to have to say it, he supposed. "You... _killed_ him. I watched you kill my future self...”

Dead silence fell over them.

More wind stung his face.

“What?" Flash breathed. "I...did...?”

“Yes...”

“But I would never kill!" Then, he paused, seeming to remember something. Doubt laced his voice as he whispered, "Would I?”

Eobard forced him to recall it all. It was harder than he expected, sickening. " _That_ you would, apparently. You said it was because that future me... That future me killed your granddaughter, in the original timeline. Radia  - you said her name. You told me everything, because the timeline was already altered. You hoped...you hoped you could stop me from killing Radia. You said she was the only family he - you - had left...” He couldn’t bring himself to meet the other’s gaze. “Both of those future versions of us... They were so different. That me...he was utterly crazy. I mean, he _was_ insane - I may have killed people, but he was laughing with joy over the entire fucked up situation... Even I never did _that..._ I mean, I laughed at your pain before, sure, but not at the situation of our war and the collateral damage... And that you...you were so cold and uncaring. You wore a black and silver suit as if to reflect it...it was like the last thing anchoring you to humanity had been stripped away. We had destroyed each other… I-I’m sorry I...didn’t tell you sooner.”

He remembered it like a terrible nightmare. It'd been the first push that had spurred him into action against the hero. Otherwise, fear and doubt would have held him back. Or maybe it wouldn't have, seeing how they still wound up fighting in that timeline. In a way, though, that bleak future had been the initial cause of Eobard jumping back through time to rid himself of the Flash. And yet, Eobard had to admit, if not for that future, if not for his time jump...

He and Barry wouldn't be here now. He didn't want to foolishly be grateful for murdering the mother of the man he loved. It was wrong, but...

He was.

"I'm sorry," he muttered.

“Eo-”

“Radia...she looks like... Nora...” He swallowed, guilt hitting him for the first time. It was terrible feeling. He hated it, but he also reveled in it - in his perfectly human response. He was better now, if he could hurt himself by hurting Barry. Good. Maybe that was the entire reason why he would never go to war with the Flash again. “I...I killed your mother, Barry, and I never asked for forgiveness for that, because I didn't feel I had to... And, if it was necessary, I would do it again, knowing that it saved us...saved you from becoming what you did in the original timeline. And for the fact that I hurt you...I am so sorry.

"I know, this sounds ridiculous, like this, and no meager, half-apology can make up for murdering someone you love. Nothing I could do could ever make up for all the horrible things I’ve done to you, but...I’m willing to spend the rest of my life trying to...because, this time, I _do_ feel guilt for all the ways I've hurt you... You matter to me the most... I love you so much, Barry, and that has never been truer, not even in the other timeline...”

Eobard looked at Barry.

His expression turned soft, gentle. “It’s okay,” Barry said, voice soft as a feather, breath clouding in the cold. He stepped closer. “You don’t have to apologize. You didn't kill Radia. I didn't kill you. Not this time. And it won’t happen, because that timeline is gone now... But I’m glad you told me. Some things shouldn’t be carried around alone.”

Eobard looked straight into his eyes, and to his utter shock, felt a burning in his own. He blinked, swallowing again.

Barry took his hand and kissed him lightly. “And as far as my mother goes, and you hurting me... You’ve already made up for it, by changing, by being better... I’ve already forgiven you. I dealt with this grief long ago. I...came to understand that you changed me for the better. I couldn't hate you for that. What I hated you for, were other things, so many other things...but not for my mother's death.”

“You...didn't?”

“I couldn't keep hating you for that... I couldn't move on otherwise... What you've done...now it doesn't hurt anymore. None of it.”

"Thank you, Barry." He felt such relief at his lover's words. Eobard kissed him this time, reminded once again of how much he adored him. Barry smiled his beautiful, heart-wrenching, life-halting, warm, forgiving smile. "What would I do without your love, Barry Allen?" Eobard asked in wonder.

“Become a criminal, apparently..." In spite of his words, his smile indicated the not-so-subtle inside joke there. "Now, let’s go inside the house and have some of Radia’s cookies. They are to die for. She uses _real sugar_.”

Eobard blinked. “ _Real_ sugar? I don't know if I've had _real_ sugar in years. It's expensive for even my family. I think my parents were going to buy a real sugar cake for my sister when she got married, though...”

“Real sugar, Eo. Radia knows a dude that grows unregulated sugarcane on the sly... Aaaannd, she has twenty-first century recipes, thanks to me... Come on. I promise it'll be the best thing you've ever tasted.”

"Now I wish I could have a Big Belly Burger," Eobard said and followed Barry towards the house.

"We could go through time for one," Flash replied with a wink.

"Not afraid of screwing up history?"

"It's just a bag of fast food," Barry said. "And you know how much I love screwing with the timeline."

They both laughed.

" _Te amo,”_ Eobard said. "Thank you, Barr."

“Love you too, you big softy.”

" _Una in perpetuum_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the Latin -  
>  I think I've already translated _Te Amo_ \- but if not, it's _I love you_  
>  _Una in perpetuum_ \- _Together forever_
> 
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~R~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> 
> Aaaaaaaaaaannnddd, thanks everyone who stuck with this fic until the end! You are all amazing people!!! You're basically the reason I made it this far. This is probably why I haven't been able to write an original novel, because it's hard to write seriously without the pay-off of feedback. Basically, I just want you amazing and lovely readers to know that I've loved and appreciated the support you gave for this fic. I know it's not perfect, and I've made some mistakes (shit-tons of typos), and I've broken grammar rules and such, but I am proud of the story told here. I made these two go from wanting to kill each other to wanting to spend the rest of their life together, and that's what I wanted out of this. :3 Eobarry FTW!!!
> 
> This pairing has consumed me lately. I'm not sure why I'm so obsessed, but I am. I can't get enough of these two. I think it's all the little things. Eobard once being a fanboy. Flash once being an asshole. The timeline shenanigans changing them. Human nature. And Barry being an amazing superhero. And SPEEDSTERS!!! Speed Force smut is the most fun I've ever had writing smut, too... Plus, I just love compelling antagonists, and Eo is definitely one of them. Here's hoping he gets a major role again eventually in the Flash. ;)
> 
> Now, let's celebrate the first lengthy multichapter I've completed!!! :D You readers are fantastic, and I hope you all have a beautiful, amazing day.
> 
> P. S. I'm working on a prequel that'll focus on how Eobard became a speedster and met the Flash and how he started his journey of villainy and such, and I have high hopes I'll complete it.  
>  Would anyone be interested in a bonus chapter including a sneak peek of it? ;) And if so, any ideas of what you may want a peak of? (I've mentioned a lot of Eo's backstory in this one, so that's what I'm referring to). I may or may not do a bonus chapter. I'm just feeling sentimental right now. T-T 
> 
> Thanks once again!!!


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